


Diverge

by caldera32



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e08 The Beginning of the End, Episode: s01e10 The Moment of Truth, Episode: s02e12 The Fires of Idirsholas, Episode: s03e01 The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part I), Episode: s03e04 Gwaine, Episode: s03e08 The Eye of the Phoenix, Episode: s04e06 A Servant of Two Masters, Episode: s05e02 Arthur's Bane, Episode: s05e10 The Kindness of Strangers, Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2020-10-10 06:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 32,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20523365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caldera32/pseuds/caldera32
Summary: A series exploring what would happen if things had gone just a little differently - a collection of canon divergent shorts. Expect both whump and fluff.





	1. 5x01 Arthur's Bane

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy friends :) I know there are tons of canon divergence stories out there, some episodes getting more attention than others, but I also know I can read as many versions as I can get of those same episodes so I'm contributing with this collection. I may write multiple versions of some episodes but I'm also going to try to cover a few of the less explored moments. For the most part these will be unconnected to each other.
> 
> Please enjoy and feel free to share your prompts!
> 
> Chapter 1: 5x01 Arthur and Merlin were both injured in the Saxon ambush

His nostrils flared, trying to breathe past the steady stream of blood, jaw clenched so hard he'd forgotten his mouth was an option for gathering oxygen. That was until he sneezed, splattering blood all over himself. He sucked as much air as he could between his teeth and took another step forward.

_One foot in front of the other; you've got to keep going._

A branch, hidden by fallen leaves, snagged his boot and he fell with a cry. The weight of Arthur and his armor driving out what little breath he'd gathered. Magic was getting harder with every drop of blood lost- it took him three tries to move the king aside.

It took several moments of panting before he had the strength to sit up and several more before he could stand. At least the branch could be used to brace the leg he'd wrenched crossing that rock field. He tightened his makeshift splint, secured with his belt and neckerchief, and pulled Arthur back up and over his shoulders. The king's injury was relatively minor and Merlin had already healed what he could but the clotpole still hadn't woken up, leaving the warlock staggering under their combined weight.

"You know, if Morgana doesn't kill you I will." He grunted, lurching forward once more.

"Threatening your king is treason, Merlin."

The voice was soft and a glance at his charge's face showed unfocused eyes but the servant almost laughed in relief regardless.

"What about threatening an ass?"

Arthur did laugh, though it came out as more of a wheeze.

"I..."

Focused on walking, it took Merlin several paces to realize the king had passed out again.

"Arthur." He shrugged his shoulders, hoping to jostle the king enough to wake him but only managing to nearly unbalance himself. "Fine; have a break. Not like I'm working myself to death or anything."

More blood splashed on dead leaves and Merlin trudged on in determined silence.

…

Arthur woke to the sound of labored breathing as the world tilted around him.

"What?" It was dark, only a hint of moonlight filtering through the barren trees.

"Just... a moment... Sire..." Merlin was bent double next to him, chest working like a bellows.

"Merlin, what happened?"

The other man held up one hand, tilting back until he was sitting on the ground, still gasping for air.

Deciding to give him a moment, Arthur sat up and took stock of his own state. He felt a deep bruise on his back where his opponent's mace must have hit, and his side felt like it would forever bear the imprint of Merlin's shoulders, but otherwise he was well if a bit parched. There was just enough snow on the ground for him to gather some up and it soothed his throat as it melted.

"Merlin?"

The other man wiped his nose and sat up a little straighter though his speech still had a breathless quality. "We should find... somewhere to spend the night."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, let's just make a stop at the local inn." He stood and reached out a hand to help Merlin up. "We- Merlin you're bleeding." The younger man's hand was slick with it though Arthur couldn't see where it had come from.

"Just... a broken nose."

He didn't hear it before but now he noticed the telltale nasal tones of someone with clogged nostrils.

"Well tilt your head forward." Arthur advised, willing his heart to slow down after the leap it had made upon noticing the blood.

"Yes, Gaius." Merlin huffed as Arthur hauled him up, prompting him to notice how one of Merlin's legs didn't bend.

"Are you injured?"

"It's fine, Arthur... we need to find cover."

He let the matter drop for the moment, eyes scouting their surroundings.

"We'll head toward those rocks and look for a cave." The king started walking, not waiting for Merlin's "Whatever you say... ass."

He'd struck out in confidence but soon realized Merlin could not keep up- his uneven gait an unsettling counterpoint to heavy breaths that seemed loader than anything else in the forest.

There was a darker spot in the rock face ahead, not large but hopefully space enough for two men. He turned back and looped one of Merlin's arms over his shoulder.

"Come along, Merlin. Can't have you lollygagging." His worry only increased when the only response was a gurgling breath. "I told you to tilt your head down."

Except Merlin's head was down and had been almost since Arthur had regained consciousness. The king didn't want to think about what that sound meant if it wasn't blood from his nose.

"Just a few more steps, Merlin." Arthur was practically pulling Merlin along now, steadfastly ignoring his rising panic at the noises coming from his companion until he managed to lower him to the ground. Their shelter wasn't a cave, per se, but it would be deep enough to hide their presence from anyone who wasn't directly in front of the place.

"We can't afford a fire, Merlin, I need you to tell me what's wrong." The moonlight hinted at terrible things, more than just the dark blood covering the lower half of his friend's face.

Merlin lifted a hand from where he'd been clutching his side, shirt balled up in a hasty approximation of a bandage. He was panting too much to speak.

Arthur tentatively touched the spot, finding it too was soaked with blood, and gently lifted the shirt.

He almost punched himself in the mouth stifling his cry, changing it into a hiss. "Merlin, you idiot. What were you doing running around like this?"

The cut to his side was deep, and Arthur feared what he would be seeing if there were more light.

"Oh... I'm sure... getting cap-tured... would be much... better."

Every hitch in the other man's breath threatened to make Arthur's heart stop. "Shut up, Merlin."

He reached underneath his mail and padding, tearing off as much of his shirt as he could and pressing it to the grisly wound, one hand covering Merlin's mouth to muffle his reaction.

Lords, there was blood in his teeth.

"Arthur, I need to tell you something..."

"This is hardly the time-"

"I need you to listen to me." Merlin's bloody hand covered Arthur's gloved one.

Arthur took a stuttering breath and gave a short nod.

"The old man, in the village... he was a druid seer,"

"Merlin-"

"He showed me... a vision... of your death."

"I don't-"

"It'll be... a knight... one I don't... re-cognize."

Arthur held his peace, mainly out of fear that Merlin seemed to be delivering his last words and that they were, well, whatever this was.

"Young... dark hair... curly... eyes... cold blue. He... seemed... familiar."

Merlin paused to take a few deeper breaths and Arthur propped him back up from where he'd slid down the rock wall.

"Merlin, I'm sure it seemed real but it's nothing to worry about. I'm-"

"It happens soon." Merlin swallowed and gasped. "Promise me you'll... keep it... in mind."

"I-" Arthur blinked, surprised to feel a tear slip down his cheek, "I won't have to because you'll be there to tell me."

"_Arthur_."

Merlin's hand spasmed atop his own, face contorted in pain.

"I'll remember, Merlin."

The younger man sighed and passed out, relaxing slightly under Arthur's hands.

The king didn't sleep a wink that night.


	2. 5x02 Arthur's Bane

Merlin hadn't expected to wake up, but when he did it still wasn't a pleasant surprise. He could feel his magic working on the wound in his side; he tasted blood in his mouth but barely had the strength to spit it out.

Voices drifted to his ears on the morning breeze and froze him in place more effectively than his own weakness.

"The king of Camelot will fetch a handsome price... alive or dead."

_Oh no. no no nonononono..._

Merlin scrabbled for purchase with his good leg, hands pushing against the rock and scraping off a layer of dried blood.

"Stop!"

Something about that voice chilled Merlin to the core and he redoubled his efforts to rise, knocking his head against the ceiling of his shelter.

"We should let Morgana decide what to do with him."

His feet slid from under him and he crashed to the ground, losing consciousness.

* * *

Arthur let the slavers lead him on as he debated his course of action. Merlin had made it through the night and the bleeding seemed to have stopped, but it seemed unlikely he would be able to take care of himself. Still, he was out of sight and should be able to stay out of trouble until help came – but this was the same Merlin who had walked all day without tending to the gaping hole in his own side.

No, it would be better to free his men first to avoid the risk of his captors following him back. At least with his knights they'd be able to drive them off. (He avoided dwelling on any scenario where his men would not be capable of doing so.)

Either way the first step was obtaining a weapon and escaping this convoy...

* * *

When he next woke the sun was high in the sky; Arthur and his captors would be several hours ahead of him. Merlin groaned and rolled onto his good side, feeling fresh blood leaking from his cut.

He didn't have the strength for a proper healing - well, not for that _and _saving Arthur – but he could at least close the wound.

"**Þurhhæle licsar min." **He grunted as the wound cauterized, panting until the pain lessened.

It took longer than he would have liked, and he'd had to remove the branch bracing his leg, but he managed to get himself upright and out to the clearing where Arthur had been caught. Thankfully they hadn't been concerned about being followed and Merlin was able to see the clear trail they had left – even more so once they'd rejoined their group and set out in the snow along with a cart.

How he wished for a horse. If he were truly as magical as the Druids claimed one would have appeared by now. Still, he certainly couldn't abandon Arthur so he'd have to make do. It was more than a day's travel yet to Ismere so if he kept walking through the night he may be able to catch up to them.

His leg twinged at the thought.

…

He didn't catch up to them. Sometime during the night he'd passed out in a snow drift and woke up shivering in the pale dawn light – his side still felt like it was on fire regardless. He'd pressed on but still only caught a glimpse of his quarry as they entered the fortress.

Getting into the mines was pure luck. He'd hidden in the mine cart to avoid the guards and they'd wheeled him in themselves.

It wasn't long before he spotted Percival – even covered in dirt and rock dust the man stuck out like wheat in a field of carrots. He was leading a group of similarly dirty men armed with mattocks and stolen weapons.

"Merlin! You're here too?"

"You've seen Arthur?"

"Yes, he gave me this sword. Are you alright?" The knight leaned forward, squinting in the torchlight to catch a better view of the servant.

"I'm fine. Where did Arthur go?"

"He's looking for the rest of our group." Percival waved at an adjoining tunnel.

"Great." He put extra effort into walking normally for a few paces.

"Wait!" Percival grabbed a pick off the ground and pressed it into Merlin's hands. "You should at least take a weapon."

Merlin nodded, "Thanks," and made his way into the tunnel, abandoning the heavy pick as soon as he was out of sight. At least the knight hadn't insisted they stay together. A dull roar echoed down the tunnel and he picked up the pace, one hand bracing himself against the cave wall so he was now hopping more than walking.

His heart clenched at the sight before him.

"Aithusa?"

She was thin and disfigured, white scales no longer gleaming. At the sight of him she curled in on herself and let out a mewl.

Merlin inched forward and put a hand on her snout. "You can't speak?"

He heard a commotion further down the tunnel and motioned the dragon away.

"Go Aithusa." The dragon shifted on its feet but did not leave. "_Ithi!_"

Aithusa squawked but went, compelled by the power of a dragonlord's command for the first time since her hatching.

The tunnel widened into a chamber which held a scene from Merlin's nightmares.

Morgana stood over an unconscious Arthur, a man at her back and a floating dagger at her command.

"Goodbye Arthur Pendragon."

**"Ástríce!"** Merlin cried, sending the pair flying into the rocky cave walls. He charged forward and snatched Arthur up as quickly as he could, only glancing at the pair enough to see that Morgana's eyes were closed. He half-dragged Arthur along, turning into a darker offshoot of the tunnel to avoid prying eyes.

His nose was bleeding again. He'd not noticed before but Arthur must have cleaned the old blood away- something Merlin found strangely touching. His injured leg gave out and he staggered against the cave wall, barely managing to remain upright.

"Oi, turnip head," he slapped his friend's cheek but got no response. That was when he noticed the stab wound to Arthur's side. Thankfully the king's disguise had been armored enough to make it a minor wound, but Merlin healed it anyway.

As soon as the spell was cast he felt a wave of pain and weakness crash over him. But there was no time for rest. Focusing his remaining magic on keeping his body moving, Merlin made his way down the dark corridor and back into a lit area. Picks littered the ground as well as dead slave-drivers; the prisoners here must have already escaped. Maybe he should have asked Percival to come with him...

And why was breathing so hard? His legs tangled with Arthur's, sending them both to the ground in a heap. Merlin screwed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw so hard it might crack, sucking air through his teeth and coughing it back out along with the dust he'd inhaled. Tears leaked from his eyes but he couldn't stop them. Arthur still hadn't woken.

Eyes blazing, Merlin forced himself back on his feet and picked Arthur up in his arms, resuming his determined shuffle. Time blended together as his awareness narrowed; he wasn't thinking, only moving.

A cold breeze hit his face and he realized someone was talking.

"-lin. Merlin, stop! _You're killing yourself!_"

Arthur was awake and struggling out of his grasp, hands bracing Merlin at the shoulders.

He meant to respond, but now that Arthur was standing in front of him he'd lost sight of their goal and couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"Merlin? Are you with me?"

No, no he wasn't.

* * *

Arthur panicked; he couldn't deny that even to himself. Merlin had gone limp in his arms, blood covering his face once more. He checked the wound on his friend's side to find it leaking pus; it seemed the idiot had cauterized it somehow.

Footsteps echoed down the tunnel and he set his friend down, snatching up a mattock to take a defensive stance in front of him.

Relief made him weak as Percival and Gwaine appeared, leading a group of fellow knights.

"Arthur."

"Sire!"

The men hastened to his side.

"Are you well?"

"What happened to Merlin?"

Arthur shook his head. "He saved my life..." the king took a deep breath to steady himself. "We need to get him out of here. Is that cart still outside?"

Percival nodded. "Yes Sire, and there are some supplies there. We've cleared the way but no one's seen Morgana yet."

"I don't know what Merlin did to get me away from her; we'll have to make haste. Help me with him."

Percival stepped forward and picked up the smaller man, passing his sword to Arthur.

"You're injured too," Gwaine waved at the bloody patch on Arthur's borrowed armor.

"It's fine, I can't even feel it."

Gwaine rolled his eyes and looped one of Arthur's arms over his shoulder. "And how do you think Merlin would feel if you wasted his efforts? Come on."

Arthur relented, letting Gwaine pull him along as he stared at Merlin.

It would be a long journey home, but once that idiot was recovered he'd teach him a lesson about self-preservation.


	3. 3x08 Eye of the Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't be afraid to leave me prompts or requests in the comments! (Not promising I'll fulfill them all, but it's been known to happen ^_~)
> 
> This chapter: 3x08 Eye of the Phoenix – Arthur may have passed out but he wasn't exactly unaware …

It was definitely strange, looking down on his own body as he floated near the ceiling. Almost as strange as when Merlin burst in and started yelling at the wyverns – even more so when they listened.

Now he was certain he'd died. There was no way his servant had made those beasts slink away like scorned cats.

"Arthur!"

He could hear Merlin calling, but couldn't feel the contact when Morgana's gift was removed from his arm. In this strange spirit world it glowed with a golden light similar to the one in Merlin's chest.

"Come on, dollophead, time to face the day." Merlin was shaking him now and there was a raw quality to the words that made Arthur want to reply, but he found he had no voice.

"Stay with me, you prat." If Arthur had still had lungs he would have held his breath as Merlin placed both hands on his body, tendrils of gold reaching out from the larger mass at the man's heart. As the gold trickled into his own body Arthur began to feel again – first the warmth of what could only be magic, then the pressure of Merlin's hands on his chest.

Courage, strength, and magic; that's what the bridge-keeper had said. Well, Merlin was clearly magic so that meant Arthur would be courage and strength both. Considering that and the fact that Merlin was his servant he's still basically completing the quest alone, right?

So maybe he was avoiding the main issue, but as he didn't exactly have a brain at the moment that should be excused.

As more of Merlin's gold settled in his body Arthur felt himself pulled toward it, otherworldly consciousness fading to be replaced by bleary-eyed half-wakefulness. He blinked and Merlin's smiling face came into focus in front of him. He couldn't face this right now; he'd have to pretend everything was normal...

"What the hell are you doing here!" He held up a hand to forestall whatever nonsense the man was about to say. "I am supposed to be doing this _alone!_"

Before the other man could reply they were interrupted by a screech as another wyvern reared in front of them. Arthur reached for his sword but the beast fell before he could attack. Gwaine was standing behind the fallen creature.

"This just gets better and better." He shook off Merlin's arm as his servant attempted to help him up. "Are Gwen and Morgana here too? Are we having a surprise party?"

He brushed past the two men, ignoring the way they both rolled their eyes at him. He needed to think about what had just happened and he couldn't do that with Merlin next to him, spouting his usual foolishness.

* * *

As soon as the stone slab separated them and he couldn't hear Merlin on the other side he knew his heart's feelings on the matter. He couldn't stand the thought of being permanently apart from his friend – even if it was only banishment rather than death that kept him away.

And when the door opened enough for him to roll underneath he couldn't stop himself from pulling a confused Merlin into a hug, ignoring the way Gwaine threw a possessive arm around their mutual friend. Then he stepped back, cleared his throat, picked up the trident, and left. He'd have to wait for Gwaine to sod off before he could have a proper conversation with his servant – if such a thing were possible at all.

…

As Gwaine meandered vaguely south, away from Camelot, Arthur resisted the urge to stare at Merlin. He thought he'd done a good job of acting normal thus far, despite his swirling thoughts.

"So what's on your mind then?" Merlin asked.

Maybe not as good as he'd thought.

"If it's about your quest I won't tell anyone you had help."

If he hadn't seen what he'd seen this would be the perfect opportunity to assure Merlin he hadn't been any help. As it was he was left searching for a way to start this conversation.

"Well now I know there's something wrong." Merlin had nudged his horse closer and was now gazing at him intently.

"I saw what you did, Merlin."

"Pardon?"

_Maybe once I'm king… _"With the magic… and the wyverns."

Merlin stiffened, causing his horse to toss its head and jostle Arthur's mount. The prince pulled his horse's head back around before it could retaliate and tried to keep his voice even as he continued.

"I'm not going to harm you, Merlin, and I'm not going to turn you in. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, but I do know that you're… you're my friend and I don't want to lose you."

Faced with silence as his only reply, Arthur looked back to find Merlin had stopped and was bent double in his saddle. He rode back and placed a hand on Merlin's arm, causing the man to straighten abruptly and almost knock his skull against Arthur's chin. His eyes were wide open, pupils dilated, and his breathing was heavy.

"Whoa," Arthur raised both hands and backed up.

Hysteric giggling slipped out of Merlin's lips for only a moment before he slapped a hand over his mouth. They stared at each other and Arthur gradually lowered his arms.

"Alright there, Merlin?"

The servant swallowed and nodded. "You're not mad?"

Arthur snorted and urged his horse forward once more. "Don't worry, Merlin, I'm sure that'll come later." Seeing Merlin had calmed somewhat he clapped him on the shoulder. "Maybe you won't hear me yelling from the stables – which you'll be mucking out."

Merlin huffed, but Arthur could see a smile growing on his face and as they continued riding he heard a whispered "Thank you" behind him.


	4. 5x10 The Kindness of Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5x10 - The Kindness of Strangers: Ignoring Arthur, Merlin follows the signs of trouble as soon as he finds them

"Something happened here," Merlin knelt and reached out, not quite touching the gouges in the tree.

Arthur rolled his eyes and huffed. "It's just stags marking their territory. It's rutting season; half of the forest will be marked like that."

"This was caused by magic."

"Merlin, who knows more about hunting? Now leave that and fill the water skins."

"...Of course, Sire." The servant stood, not even bothering to pretend he was going toward the stream in favor of following the trail while he could still feel the trace of magic in the air. Arthur, enraptured as he was by his wife, didn't even notice.

Merlin didn't have to walk for long before he heard signs of a struggle ahead; he considered calling Arthur but the king had come without arms or armor, trusting the wood to be safe this close to the city.

The warlock broke into an easy run, trying to stay as silent as he could, and soon caught site of a small wagon under attack. Three Saxons were pawing through the contents of the cart, its likely-owner lying motionless on the ground.

"**Ástríce!" **Merlin threw up a hand and the Saxons were tossed away. He dashed forward and seized one of their fallen swords, kneeling beside the victim who was unexpectedly familiar.

"Alator?" The man stirred, just as the Saxons were beginning to.

"Come on," he looped one of the Catha's arms over his shoulder and pulled him up. "We've got to go."

Alator stumbled forward, gradually regaining coordination as they ran.

"Merlin?"

Honestly, he didn't know whether to be relieved or exasperated when the king blundered into their escape. He could hear the Saxons howling behind them.

"Take this!" He tossed his stolen weapon at Arthur, who caught it with enviable ease before his eyes widened with alarm.

"Merlin!"

He half-turned, catching a blur of motion in his peripheral vision before pain knifed through his abdomen. He would have dropped like a sack of rocks if Alator hadn't managed to brace him. As it was the two of them sank to the ground together as Arthur charged forward, borrowed sword in hand.

Merlin assumed the fight was over quickly, but it was hard to tell when his world had narrowed to the length of wood piercing his side and causing agony with every hint of movement. Stars burst in his vision when someone jostled the part of the bolt currently sticking out his front.

_Emrys!_

"Merlin!"

Everything was too loud and he couldn't separate the voice in his head from the one in his ears, Alator's hands from Arthur's. There seemed to be a conversation going on but he couldn't grasp more than the occasional words.

"-druid?"

…

"I'm afraid my… not in the healing arts, Sire."

…

"-lin? Stay awake." He startled when a hand touched his face and his eyes snapped open only to screw shut at the increased pain of the shaft moving around in his gut.

"Hold still. We have to pull it out."

Oh, that was a very bad idea. But before he could work up the strength to protest someone was pressing on his stomach and the torment increased until his body simply couldn't take it anymore.

* * *

"Merlin?" Arthur threw the bolt aside as the druid removed his hood, doing his best to cover entrance and exit wound both and applying pressure.

Merlin was definitely out now. Arthur wasn't sure if that was better or worse than the disconcerting stupor he'd seemed to be in before. The king pulled off his shirt and used it to secure the makeshift bandage, doing his best to ignore the red which soon stained the white fabric.

"Sire, we need to get him to a physician." The druid advised, gaze never leaving the servant's pale face.

"Of course." He lifted Merlin as gently as he could, hurrying back to where they'd left the horses.

Guinevere rose from the picnic blanket as they drew near, brow furrowed though Arthur blocked her view of their friend.

"Can you ride?" He motioned toward Merlin's horse and the druid nodded.

"Arthur, what's happened?" She mounted her own horse, feeling the panic in the air.

"There are Saxons in the forest; Merlin's been shot."

Arthur commanded his mount to kneel so he could get in the saddle without releasing Merlin. She was a well-trained animal and would take direction from the pressure of his knees rather than the reins.

Baying followed by a chorus of howls rose into the air and the riders sent their mounts into motion.

_Why had they brought hounds? _Arthur spared a glance for the druid they'd rescued; surely it was him they were tracking, but for what purpose? Merlin groaned and the king tightened his grip to prevent him from moving. There'd be time to question their enemies' actions later.

Luckily they hadn't been far from the walls – though that made the attack all the more shocking. They were soon within the gates, the king shouting a command that they be closed to any non-residents, and riding as swiftly as they could through the afternoon crowds.

"Make way for the king!"

Arthur was surprised the druid was the first to shout the cry, though it was soon repeated by the citizens along their route as they parted before him.

The queen rushed up the stairs ahead of them, skirts held high with no regard for propriety, as Arthur and Alator maneuvered Merlin up the winding staircase as carefully as they could manage. Gwen flew from the infirmary just as they arrived and hurried back the way they had come, bucket in hand.

Gaius met them at the door and soon noticed the blood leaking from both sides of his ward. "It went straight through?"

"He was shot in the back but it didn't quite come out on its own so we pulled it." Arthur advised, moving toward the patient bed.

The physician frowned. "Lay him on his stomach; I'll take care of the entry wound first."

Scissors in hand, Gaius sat next to the cot and cut the blood-encrusted fabric away from Merlin's back. He dipped a cloth into a small cauldron of water before handing the latter to the king. "Put that over the fire to boil."

Arthur complied without protest as Alator moved back, wanting to help but not wanting to be in the way. Gaius had finished cleaning the wound and was applying some manner of ointment when Gwen returned, bucket now full of water. Familiar with the physician's routine, she prepared a compress to go on top of the ointment and a bandage to secure it.

Gaius gave her a nod of absentminded thanks, watching to make sure the comfrey had done its work in sealing the wound before covering it. "Turn him on his side."

Again Arthur leapt to assist, holding his friend in place as Gaius cleaned and treated the exit wound.

The sun was low in the sky by the time Gaius leaned away from his patient, washing his hands.

Arthur could not bear the silence long.

"Will he be alright, Gaius?

"It was miracle enough the arrow doesn't seem to have perforated his bowel." The elder sighed; not looking at his sovereign. "The wounds are sealed and there should be little threat of infection, but he's lost a lot of blood and there may be other internal hurts. It's up to Merlin now."

The king frowned but didn't press further.

Guinevere finished washing her own hands and rose. "We should leave him to rest."

Arthur nodded, though his hand lingered on the patient bed before moving to grasp Gaius' shoulder.

"If there is _anything_ more you can do for him, then do it." He held the physician's gaze until he was sure his point was understood, then took his wife's arm. "Oh, and Alator-" the druid started from the half-sleep he'd fallen into, "you are welcome to stay in the castle for the time being. I'll send a servant to take care of you."

"You are too generous, Sire, I-"

The king waved off his protests and took his leave before more could be raised.

Privately, Gaius was relieved the man wouldn't be staying in the infirmary for much longer. Thus far he'd avoided looking at the man who had once tortured him, though he knew that could not last forever. While he understood the man was now Merlin's ally, that did nothing to prevent his heart from racing when the Catha priest spoke.

"I am sorry I could not prevent this, Gaius. And I… regret what has happened between us."

Gaius remained silent, not believing the latter statement but also not wishing to start more conflict.

"I will wait outside." The druid left the chambers and Gaius released a long exhale.

He took several moments to gather himself, feeling the frenzy of the past hours easing from his body.

Once he'd heard a servant come and leave with Alator in tow, he plucked a bundle of sage from above the hearth. Lighting it with a flash of his eyes, he chanted softly over his ward.

"**Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare."**

It took several tries before he felt the spell go into effect; his magic skills were not what they once were – though they'd seen more use since Merlin had come than in the entire 20 years prior.

His ward seemed to relax a little further in sleep, but he had no way of knowing how much he had actually achieved. Frankly, he was impressed Arthur had asked it of him. It seems Merlin's actions in his sorceress guise may have had a positive impact after all.

Gaius gazed at the peaceful face of his ward until the room began to grow truly dark, then shuffled to his own bed. He'd need to rise early to check on the wounds.

* * *

Arthur paced by the window. The sun had barely risen and he'd hardly slept but there was simply too much on his mind. Guinevere was still seeing to the refugees who had begun to pour into the city from Helva the previous afternoon. Helva is one of the few places magic is practiced freely; the only reason he could see for the attack is that Morgana was looking for something or someone – possibly the same druid he and Merlin had rescued from Saxons. He'd tried to fathom out why she would need this particular man, but it was impossible to know without more information. Glancing at the sky, he'd decided he'd allowed enough time that the druid should be awake. They seemed like the sort of people who would rise with the sun.

He nodded at the corridor guard – a standard provision whenever someone was using the guest chambers – who entered the room but stopped before announcing the king's presence as intended, uncertain how to proceed when he found the guest kneeling in prayer. Arthur gave him another nod and the guard returned to his post as Alator changed his stance so he was on one knee instead of two.

"I apologize for disturbing you."

"Not at all, Sire. I try to spend any spare moments in prayer. How is he?"

Arthur found it oddly touching to think the man might have been praying for Merlin's well-being.

"About the same; Gaius says he is likely to sleep for most of the day."

The king sat at the room's small dining table and motioned for Alator to take the other. "I'd like to understand what happened yesterday. We've been receiving survivors of an attack on Helva; were you also fleeing that attack?"

The druid hesitated, but took the seat opposite Arthur. "Yes, I had a… hermitage there. One of the town's residents had a vision that Morgana was coming so we began to evacuate but it was a late warning. I'm afraid many did not escape with their lives."

Arthur remained silent for a moment in respect to those who had lost their lives to his sister's violence.

"Do you know why she attacked?"

The druid did not reply immediately, brow creased in thought, then reached into his robe.

"If I may, Sire?" Arthur hadn't realized he'd tensed in reflex until the man sought permission.

"Proceed."

Alator drew out a small casket and set it on the table between them.

"There is a prophecy my people have preserved for many years. We had thought it complete; but this new vision was recently given to us."

He nodded at the box which Arthur flipped open to reveal a sealed letter.

The king swallowed, throat inexplicably dry. "What does it say?"

Alator lifted the paper from the box but laid it on top without breaking the seal.

"To know one's own future can be a blessing or a curse."

Arthur's head snapped up. "Mine?"

"Yes."

"But you said this was part of another prophecy..."

"Indeed. A very old prophecy that foretells peace and freedom; but this revelation threatens that peace. We believe the gods have provided this now as a help in times to come."

Arthur frowned. From what he knew of them, Morgana's dreams – visions – had been vague at best, but surely it would be better to have information than to not have it?

"What does it say?"

The druid gave a small bow and broke the seal to reveal writing of a sort Arthur had never seen before. His voice deep and solemn as he recited the words:

Let loose the hounds of war. Let the dreadfire of the last priestess rain down from angry skies.

For brother will slaughter brother, for friend will murder friend, as the great horn sounds a cold dawn at Camlann.

The prophets do not lie. There Arthur will meet his end, upon that mighty plain.

He wasn't sure what unsettled him more: hearing his own name in a prophecy or that prophecy being about his death. It did not surprise him that he would fall in battle, but he didn't like the sound of this one. Would there be civil war, that friends and family would fight each other? Arthur shook himself from his thoughts, accepting the prophecy which Alator had returned to its case and was offering to him. Without considering the words he found himself asking, "What of the rest of this prophecy?"

Alator regarded him with a piercing gaze that made Arthur feel as if his very soul were being examined.

"Sometimes, to know the future is to change it. The coming peace is too precious; I cannot risk affecting it in a way I cannot foresee."

Arthur relented, finding he hadn't truly wanted to know in the first place.

"You have my thanks. Feel welcome to continue using this room or you may join the other people from Helva – they should be settling in elsewhere in the castle."

"My Lord." The man bowed as Arthur left, the thoughts of both men on the future – and a certain invalid.

…

Knowing Merlin needed as much rest as he could get, Arthur distracted himself with morning training and a council session about the refugees. Men had been sent into the surrounding woods soon after yesterday's incident but no more Saxons had been found- nor any sign of Morgana herself. They had found another druid Finna near the abandoned cart and the woman had been happy to hear Alator was well. She seemed to be a disciple of his, if druids even observed that sort of hierarchy- Arthur surely didn't know.

Extra support had been dispatched to the Western garrison to restock their supplies and shore up defenses in case Morgana had further plans for the area. There was little more they could do with the limited intelligence they had. The king's thoughts drifted to the words of the prophecy more than once, but he couldn't make plans based on such things.

Once he'd had his lunch he made his way to Gaius' rooms, opening the door without the usual racket he made when retrieving Merlin. The physician looked up from the book he was reading and dipped his head in respectful acknowledgment.

"He's been moved to his own bed so he can sleep relatively undisturbed. There's been no change but it would do some good if we could rouse him enough to eat and drink."

Arthur nodded and made his way to the back room, finding his servant asleep on his uninjured side. Merlin's nose wrinkled as the king approached but he showed no other signs of stirring.

"Well maybe I wouldn't smell if you'd been there to draw me a bath after training." He could've had another servant do so, of course, but he hadn't even thought of it. Lately Merlin always seemed to know when he'd need one and had them ready; probably a result of his delicate sensibilities.

Merlin grunted and his eyes cracked open the barest slit. He moved his arm then moaned, a truly miserable sound, and fell still. Arthur'd never seen a more obviously displeased face on anyone but a toddler, an exaggerated frown distorting the man's whole face. He'd laugh if his friend weren't in such pain. Gaius appeared as if summoned by the sound.

"Ah, you're awake. I've got some food for you then you can take more pain medicine."

Merlin grunted again and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"If you could help him sit, Sire, he's probably stiffened up."

Ignoring Merlin's pleading eyes, the king pulled him into a seated position as gently as he could manage – though gasps of pain revealed it wasn't gentle enough.

Gaius held out a cup of water first and, though his hands shook, Merlin was able to drink from it on his own so Arthur counted that as a victory.

"Gaius!" A servant entered the main chamber and the physician turned, getting the boy's attention through the open door.

"They need your help in the refugee camp. One of the women has gone into labor and they've no midwife."

Gaius set a vial down on the bed and fixed his ward with a hard stare. "You eat all of that food and then you drink the whole vial, understood?"

Merlin sighed. "Yes, Gaius."

He turned his stare on the king and Arthur straightened.

"You make sure he doesn't exhaust himself."

"I'll look after him, Gaius."

The old man nodded and grabbed his kit on his way out the door.

"So you do still speak." Arthur stated after a few moments of watching Merlin glare at the bowl of porridge his mentor had left in his lap.

Merlin shot him a look and grunted again, a smile tugging at his lips. Arthur ruffled the younger man's hair while the latter rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad you're doing well – though we'll have to talk about your penchant for wandering off and finding trouble."

"I was filling the waterskins!"

"Then your sense of direction is even worse than I thought it was."

Merlin ignored him, pretending to be focused on his porridge. The light air settled into a peaceful silence as Merlin ate and Arthur leaned back in his chair.

"I spoke with Alator – the druid from yesterday."

The last spoonful of porridge spilled onto the blanket and Merlin frowned at it.

"It seems Morgana was chasing him to retrieve a prophecy he was carrying."

The frown deepened.

"What sort of prophecy?"

Arthur kept his tone light as he replied, "A prophecy of my death."

Merlin's face drained of color so quickly Arthur was certain he would pass out. When he leaned forward to catch him, Merlin gripped his arms like a drowning man.

"What- what did it say?" He gasped.

Arthur pushed him back against the wall. "Breathe, Merlin. Lords, I shouldn't have told you when you're like this..."

"Well you did so what did it say?"

"Nothing I needed a prophecy to tell me, Merlin. It said I would fall in battle but nothing about when it would happen so really I didn't learn anything useful." Aside from where, but he didn't think mentioning that would help his panicked manservant from whose expression one would think death itself stood directly behind the king.

Merlin's frown had turned into a scowl but he seemed to be calming, the vise-like grip on Arthur's arms easing. The reaction had clearly tired him, his eyes blinking slowly as he looked away from his friend. "I won't let it happen."

"Everyone dies sometime, Merlin."

"I won't let it happen," Merlin repeated, more firmly, gaze fixed on the spoon lying abandoned on his blanket.

"Of course you won't," Arthur sighed, looking toward the heavens and praying for strength. "Now, Gaius will be angry if he finds I've upset you so take your medicine and sleep. We can talk about this later." Or, preferably, never again.

Merlin opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by a yawn. Arthur pulled the stopper from the vial and held it out. "Drink."

Still pouting, Merlin grabbed the medicine and drank it in one shot- the best way to do it, considering the taste.

"Now sleep," the king commanded, helping his friend lie down. As much as he had tried to resist, Merlin was out by the time Arthur collected the bowl, spoon, and empty vial.

"Idiot," Arthur murmured fondly, closing the door behind him.


	5. 3x08 Eye of the Phoenix (Bonus Fluff)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since the other ideas I'm working on are taking so long I've written up this mini-chapter to fill the gap a little <3  
This occurs early in "Eye of the Phoenix" when Merlin has hiccups :)

*Hicc*

Arthur looked up from his paperwork and Merlin grimaced.

"Ate too quickly," he explained, returning to smoothing out the bed covers.

*Hicc*

Merlin tensed, expecting further comment on Arthur's part, but none came so he relaxed and started plumping the pillows.

*Hicc*

Something stabbed into his side and he let out a high-pitched yelp of surprise, leaping away and spinning to find Arthur there. His finger was still extended from where he'd poked Merlin and his eyebrows were high, taken aback by the vigorous reaction. A devilish grin stretched the prince's mouth and he advanced on his servant, both hands out.

"Arthur, what are you doing?" Merlin's voice wavered as he backed away, only stopping once his back hit the wardrobe.

The royal pounced, fingers attacking the younger man's ribs and making him shriek with laughter.

"Arthur… please… stop!" Merlin managed a breathless plea between giggles and Arthur complied -eventually.

He returned to his desk and chuckled as Merlin hugged himself, gasping to regain his breath.

"You're welcome, by the way." Arthur said, casually signing a report as Merlin glared at him.

"Your hiccups are gone."


	6. 3x04 Gwaine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys; there's no real schedule for this but I still would like to get at least one update a week. Anyway, the one I've been working on still isn't coming more than a line or two at a time so I switched over to the one I'm posting now. I've made this collection my NaNo project (with much smaller work goal) so hopefully that'll translate to more for you guys to enjoy :)
> 
> This chapter: 3x4 - Throwing that goblet at Merlin's head was a real bad idea

Merlin's head had been pounding ever since Arthur had hit him with that cup earlier, and all the bending and lifting hadn't helped. And why would they want their trunk on top of the wardrobe anyway? Whatever the reason, the lid had smacked his skull when it came open and now he could hardly see straight. Of course, that might have something to with the fact he hadn't eaten anything today. Thankfully Gaius had some soup and bread ready for him when he stopped by their chambers.

Not that he got to eat much of it before Guinevere came to fetch him. He couldn't believe how much Gwaine had drunk – not to mention all the pickled eggs. He'd had another chance at dinner time as Gwaine slept in his bed, but somehow even thinking about eating made him nauseous and between that and his skull trying to split in half he hardly got any sleep.

So in all it was entirely possible he'd misheard what Sir Oswald had said to Sir Ethan about filleting the prince during the melee, but he rather doubted it considering the slice the "blunt" blade had given his hand. He'd barely had the presence of mind to escape the room without further injury when the knights had returned, and he definitely didn't have enough to escape now that they had returned to find him stealing their property. Perhaps he should have waited until nightfall instead of going back as soon as Gaius had wrapped his hand.

He wasn't as hesitant to use magic against them once they drew their swords, but he found his power to be beyond reach- blocked out by the now crippling pain in his skull. All it took was one strong shake by "Sir Oswald" to make his head snap back and his vision speckle, and it completely greyed out once he was slammed against the wall.

* * *

"He should be back by now." Arthur heard the comment coming from inside the physician's chambers as he approached from the stairs. Those had been his own thoughts regarding Merlin, but he had been annoyed at the absence of his lunch rather than concerned as Gwaine seemed to be. The other man was so preoccupied he didn't even notice the prince as he rushed down the corridor. Arthur glanced through the open door and, seeing only Gaius, decided to follow the brunet.

Once he had caught up he wished he had run, no matter that it would have been unseemly.

"How dare you speak to a knight like that!" He heard Sir Oswald shout as he stepped into the open doorway.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked, seeing that Oswald and Ethan were about to attack Gwaine- all three men with swords drawn.

"Sire, this _peasant_-"

Gwaine interrupted whatever Oswald was about to say but Arthur didn't hear the words, his gaze focusing in on Merlin who lay motionless on the floor between the two knights. There was red on his face.

"Merlin?"

There was no response to his call aside from Oswald's complaints.

"Explain yourself." He kept his voice cold, trying to contain the sudden fury overtaking him. Some of it must have shown, however, as even Gwaine fell silent.

"This servant was _robbing _me!"

"They brought ensorcelled blades for the melee; Merlin cut himself on one when he was cleaning and he came back for evidence." Gwaine had yet to lower his sword and Arthur found himself gripping his own more tightly, though it remained on his belt.

Oswald sniffed. "That's ridiculous!"

"Then you will have no problem submitting your weapons for inspection." Arthur glared, advancing on the men who stepped back and raised their swords. As Oswald moved, Gwaine lunged and cut a large slash in the other man's shirt. A crystal pendant swung out, catching the light and drawing Arthur's eyes; a familiar but out-of-place visage leered from its depths.

"Sorcery!" He had his blade out in a flash and the two impostors gave up their act, attacking with a shout. The scuffle was over quickly, Arthur and Gwaine dispatching their opponents with little trouble.

"What's going on- Sire!" Leon appeared from the corridor with a pair of guards, taken aback by the sight of three bodies on the floor with the prince and another man kneeling next to one of them.

"Secure those men," Arthur gestured at them, "and if they live I want them questioned. Be warned they were using sorcery." He reached over and plucked the crystal from "Sir Oswald" whose face seemed to melt away, revealing one of the thugs he and Gwaine had humiliated in the tavern brawl.

"Of course, Sire. Shall I fetch Gaius?" Leon offered as he realized the other person present was Merlin who seemed to be unconscious.

"Yes. We're not certain what happened; advise Gaius he seems to have a head wound and his nose is bleeding."

The knight bowed his head in acknowledgment, motioning for the guards to collect the brigands as they left the chambers.

"Shouldn't we tilt his head or something?" Gwaine waved a hand at Merlin's bloody nose.

Arthur frowned. "I don't think we should move him. Gaius will be here soon enough."

Both men hovered in silence for a few moments before Arthur cleared his throat. Gwaine looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I want to thank you for coming to Merlin's aid. He could have been more seriously injured without your intervention."

"No need for thanks yet- we still don't know what's happened. He shouldn't be out for so long."

Arthur had been trying not to think about that. "Still; you can consider your tavern bill paid- unless you've changed your mind and will accept a proper reward?"

Gwaine chuckled. "I thought that's why I spent all afternoon polishing those boots? But I'll take another night on the town once Merlin here is well enough to go with me."

"What's happened?" Gaius asked, barreling through the doorway and nearly falling onto the floor next to his ward.

Arthur steadied the elder as he shook his head. "Gwaine?"

"He was already on the floor when I got here; he hasn't moved since."

"Hm." Gaius frowned but said nothing further, only heightening the tension in the room as he gently felt around Merlin's head and neck. "He has a lump on the back of his head; I doubt it grew so large in the time since he's been here, though it was likely worsened by what has occured. Did anything happen earlier today, or perhaps yesterday?" He raised his eyebrows at Gwaine and Arthur.

"He said those two caught him after he'd cut his hand, maybe it happened then?" Gwaine suggested.

"Perhaps, but more likely not. I doubt Merlin would have escaped them if they had become violent at that point. Sire, did he join you for training this morning?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, in fact he- oh…"

"Oh?" Gaius asked as Gwaine frowned at the prince.

"I, ehm, I may have hit him with a goblet." He looked away as Gwaine's gaze turned angry and Gaius' expression went flat.

"I see. And did he lose consciousness at that time?"

"No! I wouldn't hit him that hard, Gaius, surely you know that!"

"Of course, Sire." Gaius looked away, giving Arthur the distinct impression of having been dismissed.

"So that's the way of it." Gwaine seethed. "All this time Merlin's been telling me you're different from other nobles, _better _than them, but you still abuse him! How much better can you be!"

Arthur had been feeling ashamed about the whole thing but Gwaine's ire awoke his own. "Now just a minute-"

"Will the two of you please be silent or leave; you're disturbing my patient." Gaius interjected, cutting off both men's shouting. Merlin had not awoken but his face was now pinched in pain as Gaius rubbed a pungent oil on his forehead. He'd cleaned away the blood from Merlin's nose but fresh was starting to trickle from one nostril.

The two combatants subsided for the moment, avoiding each other's eyes.

"I'm going to wake him up. Gwaine, please brace his head." Gaius waited until Gwaine was in position then waved a vial of smelling salts below his ward's nose.

Merlin's eyes opened, then half-closed as the younger man groaned and shifted in discomfort.

"Lie still, Merlin. Tell me, how is your vision?"

The servant mumbled an answer but it was unintelligible and new wrinkles joined the ones already creasing Gaius' forehead.

"We'll need a stretcher to bring him to the infirmary," Gaius instructed the prince who rose and summoned a servant to carry out the order.

"Try to stay awake, Merlin. Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

Merlin squinted so much it looked like he'd closed his eyes then mumbled, "tree?"

Gaius dropped his hand – which had been showing two fingers – in favor of examining his ward's pupils.

"Alright Merlin, don't move your head but try to follow my finger with your eyes."

Merlin was better at this one- until his eyes closed and he went limp.

"Gaius?" Gwaine and Arthur both looked to the physician, trying to hide their panic with varying levels of success.

"He's only sleeping; it's fine to let him rest for now. Gwaine, lift him up a little but make sure to support his head." Gaius waited until Gwaine was settled in his new position and began to probe the back of Merlin's head and neck.

Arthur had to tear his eyes away to direct the servant who had reappeared with the stretcher. "Lay it here next to Merlin, then run ahead to Gaius' chambers and build up the fire."

The servant complied, arranging the stretcher then dashing off to fulfill his other tasks.

"His bones seem to be intact but we must still be careful. I will stabilize him while you two get him on the stretcher." Gaius rose to his knees and re-positioned himself as Gwaine and Arthur gripped Merlin's shoulders and legs.

"On three," Gaius counted off, "one, two, three!"

The transfer went smoothly and soon the trio were carrying Merlin down the corridor. Arthur was thankful few people were in the corridors to impede their progress- not that anyone would dare to stand in his way.

As ordered, the fire was blazing merrily when they arrived. The servant stood in the corner awaiting further orders.

"Set him on the cot and we'll prop his head up."

The next several minutes passed in a blur as everyone followed Gaius' direction, elevating Merlin with pillows and fetching various oddments from the shelves as the physician woke his patient and performed more tests. Arthur couldn't tell if the results were good or bad from Gaius' expression, and he couldn't properly see or hear what was going on from the workbench where he and Gwaine were chopping and mashing herbs. Once they'd made a thick paste Gaius heated it up and wrapped it in leaves, wedging the bundle under Merlin's head.

That done, the elder leaned back and rubbed his face before dismissing the servant who had brought the stretcher and stoked the fire- he looked to Arthur for confirmation then took his leave.

"Gaius?" Arthur almost flinched when Gwaine's voice broke the heavy silence.

"There's nothing more we can do for now. You both should go to your beds- he'll need quiet rest to recover."

Arthur was ready to argue but Gaius pointed a flat stare in his direction that let him know his misdeeds had been neither forgiven nor forgotten. He looked away then shuffled off to his own chambers.

Gwaine also looked hesitant, but retreated to his temporary quarters in Merlin's room- leaving the door open in case anything should happen.

Gaius sighed and resigned himself to a long night.

* * *

"Merlin, wake up."

Merlin grunted. He felt heavy, disconnected, and generally unready for wakefulness.

"I know, my boy, but we need to keep your brain active or you may sleep forever."

He grunted again but managed to crack one eye open.

"There you are," Gaius hovered above him. "Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

Merlin opened his other eye and focused on his mentor's hand. "Two."

"Good." Gaius patted him on the arm. "Are you hungry? The kitchens sent up a light soup for you."

Soup? Wasn't it breakfast time? Was he that late? Come to think of it, why was he in the patient bed? The last thing he remembered was trying to sleep on the floor in his room with Gwaine snoring in the background.

"What happened?"

Gaius sighed. "You have a nasty concussion. It seems Arthur hit you with a goblet and the injury was exacerbated by those thugs you fought in that tavern brawl- they tried to enter the melee disguised as knights."

"Is he still forgetting?"

Merlin tilted his head to see Arthur in the doorway, and his brain thumped its displeasure at the movement.

"I'll get you something for the pain," Gaius murmured, then answered the prince. "Yes, but this is not uncommon. We may have to repeat ourselves several more times before he's recovered enough to retain the information."

"What?" Merlin frowned, not quite able to follow the conversation.

Arthur plopped himself down onto the stool Gaius had vacated and eyed Merlin as if he were a shirt that may or may not be too small.

"We've been telling you this all morning, Merlin. Every time you wake up it's 'what happened?', 'where am I?', 'why am I such an idiot?'."

There was a snort from the direction of the still-open door and Gwaine also appeared beside the cot. "That's a good question, princess. Why are you such an idiot?"

The rogue ignored Arthur's displeasure and favored Merlin with a winning smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Could be better," Merlin mumbled, feeling sleepy even as Gaius and Arthur propped him up so he could eat.

"True," Gwaine nodded, "we could be in the tavern."

"Gwaine," Arthur's tone threatened… something. Merlin couldn't focus on much past getting the spoonfuls of soup into his mouth.

He must have drifted off as he found himself lying flat again and the chambers were darker- or at least he thought they were. He had never been sure of the time when last he was aware. There was a shuffling sound but this time he remembered to stay still.

"Gaius?"

It was Gwaine who answered the call, kneeling beside the bed.

"Do you need anything? Oh, Gaius wanted to make sure I asked you for your name."

"Merlin. Did you forget already?"

Gwaine smiled, "'course not; just needed to make sure you hadn't."

His head cleared as he awoke more fully, and he began to remember what he'd been told earlier. "What happened to those men?"

"The ones who attacked you? They resisted arrest and didn't survive." Gwaine wasn't even sorry about it. The sight of them standing over an injured Merlin had prompted a fear in him he'd not felt for many years.

"Oh." Merlin didn't really remember the men past a few flashes of his time as their servant, but he didn't like that he may have had a hand in their deaths.

"Think on it no further. Now, how about some ale or a honey cake?"

Merlin smiled despite himself and made a slight gesture toward the mug of herbs waiting on the hearth. "I think I'll have some of that tea Gaius probably told you to give me."

"Ah, if you must," Gwaine smiled back and poured hot water into the mug to steep.

The two sat in companionable silence for a few moments, watching the steam rise from the cup.

"No one else was hurt, right?"

Gwaine's face twitched before he covered it with an even brighter smile. "You don't see anyone else here, do you? Now stop your worrying, drink up, and get back to sleep. Gaius thinks you'll be able to stay awake longer tomorrow but for now you need your rest."

Merlin hummed into his tea, and followed Gwaine's instructions.

* * *

"Are you going to sleep another day away, idiot?"

Merlin startled; he'd been awake on some level but hadn't realized it until Arthur's voice punctured the silence. His eyes felt gummy and he peeled them open cautiously.

"Why not? Can't get a day off otherwise." He grinned in a way he hoped was reassuring because Arthur was looking unnaturally concerned, brow pinched and mouth down-turned. There was a dark bruise on his right cheekbone. "What happened to your face?"

"Training accident." Arthur's flat tone made it clear further questions would not be welcomed. Merlin filed that away to ask again later.

"That aside..." the prince cleared his throat and shifted on his stool, looking away. "I wanted to say that I, I'm… I should not have hit you in the head with that goblet and..."

Merlin waited patiently for a moment but it seemed Arthur wasn't going to continue. "Is it really that hard to apologize?" He smiled wider.

"...And you'll be joining me for training more often so you can learn how to dodge." Arthur crossed his arms and Merlin snorted.

"If you say so, Sire."

"I do." The prince straightened, clearly ready to move on from this uncomfortable topic. "Gaius says you'll be able to stay awake longer today but you should stay here. Gwaine will be arriving to entertain you any moment now so I'll take my leave."

Arthur stood and was nearly to the door when he stopped and half-turned, avoiding Merlin's gaze once more. "If something like this happens again, Merlin... if you're hurt... I need you to tell me. Even if I'm the one who injures you."

The servant was ready to make a joke but the air was suddenly too heavy, his friend too sincere. Merlin almost certainly wouldn't be able to honor such a promise, but for now he could let the prince feel better.

"Of course, Sire."

Arthur watched him for another moment, then nodded.

"Be well soon, Merlin."


	7. 1x08 The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x8 "The Beginning of the End" - Merlin hides Mordred in Arthur's chambers.  
Prompt by OhanaHoku :)

Merlin stumbled down the steps, answering a call unlike any he'd received before. Even Kilgharrah's summons hadn't felt like this- as if another mind were pushing up against his.

"_Help! They're going to kill me!"_

He was still disoriented by the sensation of conversing mentally with another person, but his heart broke at the child's pleas. He considered his options, and settled on a more subtle approach. The guards were close and the child, if not injured, looked tired. They would not easily escape a chase.

Fixing his gaze on his target he tried to respond in kind._"Take your cloak off- slowly."_ Merlin walked toward the child's hiding place, trying to look particularly unremarkable, and helped the boy to stand. _"Try to stay calm."_

The boy sniffed and Merlin could feel his trembling through their joined hands, but he nodded and followed obediently as the servant led him into the castle. They were just out of sight when he heard the shouts of the guards – they'd discovered the abandoned cloak. _"Run!"_

He ushered the child down the corridors, considering and rejecting various hiding places in turn. He needed a place that was close, accessible to him, and wouldn't be searched. Ah.

"_This way," _he pulled the boy into Arthur's chambers, hiding him with the clothes horse behind the changing screen – good thing he hadn't tidied up back there in several days; the tunics and trousers hid the child's presence admirably.

Hearing the noise of approaching guards, Merlin pulled out the bucket of water he kept stowed for scrubbing the floor, kicked it over, and got down on his hands and knees with brush in-hand. Even though he knew it was coming, he still jumped when the guards knocked on the door.

"M'lord?"

Merlin got back up and opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Is Prince Arthur in?"

"He's on the training grounds at this hour."

"We're looking for a druid boy; have you seen him?"

Merlin did his best to appear innocent, eyes wide with nerves helping to reinforce that look. "No, it's just been me," he gestured to the wet floor, "you'd be able to see the footprints if anyone else snuck in."

The guards poked their heads in and peered around, but didn't have the status to enter a royal's chambers unless invited. "Very well; keep a look out."

Merlin closed and latched the door, letting out a slow breath before making his way back to where he'd stashed the boy. To his dismay the child had passed out, blood now visible on his arm from a wound Merlin hadn't noticed previously. He'd started studying healing spells in light of recent events, but he wasn't willing to risk casting one for what appeared to be a minor wound. Who knows what problems such a spell gone awry would cause- he'd had enough trouble getting the dog turned back to stone after the whole situation with Valiant.

He'd just managed to get the wound cleaned and bound with some bandages found under a stack of papers on Arthur's desk when he heard drums coming from the courtyard. Seeing the boy watching him, he put a comforting hand on his shoulder before rising to look out a window.

Uther was passing judgment against a sorcerer who stood tall beside the chopping block. Arthur stood beside his father, wearing the hard look his servant had come to realize meant he didn't want to be there but nonetheless had to put on a show for the public.

Merlin could feel the boy's distress clamoring at the edge of his consciousness; did he know what was happening? Was he related to this man?

As the ax descended Merlin looked away, flinching first at the sound of the beheading then of the child's gut-wrenching mental scream. He sank down beside the boy and pulled him into a loose hug, rubbing his back and trying to be a comfort.

The boy had just fallen asleep with one of Arthur's discarded cloaks tucked around him when the man himself entered the room and stopped, looking perplexed.

Merlin crept out from behind the screen. "Sire?"

Arthur looked at him as if he thought a fairy might have eaten him and was now wearing his skin. "I didn't tell you to scrub my floor."

"Are you sure? Why would I do it if you hadn't asked?"

The two stared at each other for a few moments, Arthur's brows creasing more and more until he seemed to give up and shook his head.

"Never mind that, I need my lunch brought early. Father has ordered me to join the search for the escaped druid boy." Arthur clenched his jaw so hard Merlin could see a muscle jump from the strain.

"You… don't seem to think that's a good idea..." the servant avoided Arthur's eyes as they swung in his direction.

Arthur huffed and didn't seem as if he were going to answer at first, but then decided to have a good rant and get it out of his system.

"The druids are peaceful people; they were only here to buy supplies! I certainly don't see why we need to hunt down a child." He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the neatly-made bed, ignoring Merlin's frown. "Father says our enemies would see it as weakness if we were to let them live, but why do we need to be so concerned about what our enemies think?"

The prince flopped on the bed, narrowly missing Merlin's arm as the latter retrieved the ill-treated jacket. "Don't you dare repeat a word of this, Merlin, it would be treason for anyone else to question the king. In fact, you never heard any of this."

"Of course, Sire." Merlin turned away to hang the jacket in the wardrobe and looked back to find Arthur squinting at him. "What?"

"You're being suspicious."

"Pardon?"

"Where's the 'he's just a child' or 'I worked hard to make that bed'? You've called me 'Sire' twice now."

"Sorry?" Merlin was confused and it didn't help that his thoughts were still mostly on the child sleeping behind the changing screen.

Arthur sat up and stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "What is wrong with you?"

A groan interrupted Merlin's attempt at coming up with a proper response and the prince's eyes locked on the child's hiding place. "Tell me you didn't."

"I didn't." Merlin answered, but Arthur had already swept him aside and was marching past. "He's just a child, Arthur! He hasn't done anything wrong."

The royal rolled his eyes as the arguments he'd been expecting came pouring from his servant's mouth. He stepped behind the screen, almost fooled when the fugitive wasn't immediately in site, then spied one booted foot sticking out from under the clothes horse. He looked beyond it and saw the boy on the floor, pale and only semi-conscious.

"I'd say I can't believe you've done this but this is exactly the sort of idiocy I've come to expect from you. Did you even think at all?"

Merlin hunched in on himself. "He asked for my help..."

The prince threw his hands up in the air. "That's really all it takes for you, isn't it? How can you be so stupid? Try to think for once!"

It was foolhardy to interrupt Arthur when he was on a tirade like this, but his voice was getting dangerously loud.

"Sire, perhaps we should just, sit and talk about this?"

"Sit and-" Arthur gaped at him, then began looking around for something to throw, settling on the pile of dirty clothes beside him. "Sit and talk?" He hurled a shirt, then a pair of trousers, then a boot. "I'll show you!"

Merlin backed away with his arms raised to protect his face as the second boot followed the first, then a belt and the basin of water Arthur had used to wash his face that morning. Well, at least the floor had already been wet.

There was a knock at the door and the two men stilled.

"Is everything alright, Sire?" A muffled voice came from the other side.

Arthur and Merlin stared at each other for one tense moment before the prince turned his head to answer, keeping one eye on his servant.

"Nothing to worry about; just Merlin being an _idiot _as usual."

"Of course, Sire," the guard chuckled and withdrew, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Arthur closed his eyes, hands on hips, as Merlin tried to understand what was happening.

"You, _Mer_lin, are going to stay right here – both of you – until I come back." The prince took a deep breath and looked at the mess he'd made. "And have all this cleared away by the time I do."

"Are you-"

"Stay _right here._" Arthur pointed emphatically, finger just barely not touching Merlin's nose. He pulled back as the other man nodded. "Bar the door after I've gone."

* * *

Merlin paced, gripping his hair with both hands. Should he wait for Arthur? Could he? If nothing else the boy's wound would need better tending than he could provide in present circumstances.

Just as he was beginning to seriously consider his own escape plans, there was a knock at the door followed by an urgent whisper. "Merlin, let me in!"

The servant unbarred the door and his master swept in. "Play along," he muttered before turning back to the corridor and calling "this way!"

Two guards stomped into the room and Merlin stiffened. Surely he hadn't-

"You'll find the boy in the corner. Merlin's been keeping an eye on him; we left him unconscious lest he try to use magic."

"Ar-" The prince silenced Merlin's protest with a fierce look, then tugged the man aside as the guards approached the screen.

"Trust me," Arthur whispered.

"_Emrys!"_ Merlin flinched as the boy's frightened voice pierced his mind and he would have started forward were it not for Arthur's hand still on his arm. He hazarded a sideways glance at the prince.

"_Don't fight; we won't let them hurt you. Arthur has a plan." _At least he sure hoped that was the case, otherwise Merlin might have to do something reckless to keep his promise.

The boy was silent after that, but it may have more to do with weakness from his wound- the boy was swaying even with the guards on either side of him.

"Take him down to the dungeons; I will report to my father."

"Sire," the guards bowed and ushered the druid away.

They were barely out of earshot when Merlin rounded on his master but Arthur had seen it coming, forestalling a tirade with one raised hand.

"We'll be breaking him out tonight, Merlin. The best way to get him past the city walls is through a tunnel we can access from the dungeons."

"Why couldn't we have used the one in the armory?" Merlin frowned as Arthur shook his head.

"We'll be having a chat later regarding how you know about it, but that one comes out in the courtyard; it leaves too much distance we'd have to travel unsheltered. This tunnel comes out in the forest and we'll be able to take him to his people from there."

Merlin relaxed a bit, though he was worried about the boy's condition. "We may have to carry him; being in the dungeons won't do anything good for his wound and he was already looking poorly."

The prince frowned then shook his head. "We'll handle that once we need to. Now I need you to prepare two horses, a rope, and a grappling hook…

…

Merlin could not believe he was in the forest with two horses, a rope, and a grappling hook waiting to help Arthur bust a druid out of the dungeons. The whole situation was ludicrous, not to mention nerve-wracking.

He wished he knew how to do that mind-speaking trick when he wasn't looking at the person he was speaking to, at least then he might have some idea of what was happening.

When they arrived he didn't even noticed, he'd worked himself up so much.

"Merlin!" Arthur hissed, steadying the boy on his back with one hand as he grasped the grate with the other.

"Here!" Merlin's voice broke as he responded, stumbling over himself in haste as he fitted the hook between the bars and used the horse's strength to remove them.

Arthur swatted his shoulder, but he didn't know if that was praise for a job well done or a complaint about his slowness.

As Merlin had feared, the boy was unconscious and feverish. It took some maneuvering to get him up on the horse with Arthur but they made it work and were well away before the warning bell sounded.

* * *

Gaius had told him to ride into the forest and the druids would meet him but he was finding it harder to believe the longer he and Merlin plodded along in the dark. That is, until Merlin straightened in his saddle and stopped.

"They're here," he whispered. Arthur still couldn't see a thing but he decided to take his servant's word for it, dismounting carefully as Merlin steadied the boy.

Three cloaked men stepped into a patch of moonlight ahead of them, the middle figure pulling his hood down to reveal curly grey hair and a smiling face.

"We are forever indebted to you for returning the boy to us." The man said, reaching out to take the child in his arms.

"We did what we could for his wound, but I'm afraid he's not well." Merlin answered as Arthur's lips thinned at his servant's presumptuousness. He would have been rolling his eyes but this moment felt weighty, as if it were important somehow.

"You must not let it be known that we brought him to you." His father would have both of their heads; well, Merlin's certainly.

The leader nodded. "We will tell no one. You have my word," his gaze slipped over to Merlin. The druids seemed to give a small bow as the group turned to leave.

"Good luck," Arthur muttered.

The pair stood in silence until they were well and truly alone.

"Thank you."

The prince turned to frown at Merlin; the man was much too pleased about their illegal activities, smiling as if Arthur had given him a week off.

He mounted his horse and turned back toward home, leaving Merlin to scramble after him.

"I don't need to be thanked for doing what's right, _Mer_lin."


	8. 3x01 The Tears of Uther Pendragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little different. The first part of the story is here, but I couldn't decide which way to go with it so I've written out two paths which will be posted as the next two chapters. The options will be at the end of this chapter and then you can skip to the one you prefer (or read both, of course).
> 
> 3x1 – The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Arthur takes a walk in the forest and finds more than he bargained for. (Inspired by a review from maldru on fanfiction.net)

He'd only gone into the woods to clear his head, to think about Gaius' words. Did he truly need to step up and take power before the death of the king? He'd told Gaius he would never give up on his father, but what was best for the people? Arthur shook his head. He felt like a usurper just thinking about it.

He'd only gone into the woods to think, yet here he was watching his servant – chained and frightened in a way he'd never seen the man afraid before – being interrogated by Morgause. If it had been her alone Arthur would have charged to the rescue, but with her two probably-sorcerer minions present discretion would be best. Despite the sheen of imminent tears in Merlin's eyes, he held up remarkably well to the questioning – not that he was being asked anything of strategic importance. Arthur was rather curious about the first question himself; why was Merlin so loyal? He also tried to deny the warmth in his chest as Merlin proudly professed his faith in Arthur and the kingdom he would build. The servant was much more confident in the future than the master was.

All that aside, Arthur would have abandoned reason and leapt out once Morgause had started casting a spell if it hadn't been finished by the time he realized it was happening. He couldn't tell what the magic had done, but Merlin was gasping now, his chains gleaming unnaturally in the faint sun filtering through the forest canopy.

He crept forward cautiously, pausing when the enemy group moved, then holding position when he saw they were leaving. It was beyond him why they would simply wander off but he wasn't going to complain about it. As soon as they were out of sight for a ten-count he ran the rest of the way to his friend's side.

"You've gotten yourself into a fine mess this time, Merlin." He muttered as the other man straightened abruptly, eyes wide.

"Arthur! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I could hardly start my day without your buffoonery. Though his is a bit much- is there no lock on these chains?" He pulled on them experimentally and Merlin grimaced.

"They get tighter when you do that."

Arthur frowned; Merlin's voice was already a bit breathless. "We'll have to get them removed in Camelot. Can you stand?"

The servant's answer was cut off by the sound of rustling leaves and the things disturbing them.

"Serkets!" Merlin gasped, trying to move and wincing as the chains gleamed another notch brighter.

Arthur drew his sword. "It would be great if you could stand, Merlin."

The younger man shook his head. "The chains go all the way down my legs; even if I could stand I can't run. You need to leave me."

The prince let out a heavy sigh of exasperation. "Always the same tune with you, Merlin. When will you understand that I'm the one giving the orders?"

"Maybe once I'm dead," Arthur flinched at the blunt words but Merlin continued without noticing, "now escape before they have us completely surrounded."

"Oh, it's too late for that." Much too late; there were two ranks of the creatures on all sides of them.

"Arthur-"

"Shut up, Merlin." And he did, though that may simply be because his chest was too constricted to waste any more breath talking.

One of the younger beasts moved forward and Arthur shouted at it, "Ha!" It moved back, clicking its pincers.

Merlin snorted but wasn't quite able to voice whatever witticism had come to mind. He sagged briefly, breathing hard enough to disturb the leaves beneath him, then struggled back upright to watch the serkets.

Arthur, intensely aware of his friend's difficulties, made a decision.

[](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20523365/chapters/51379366) [](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20523365/chapters/51379609)


	9. 3x01a - Make a run for it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: THIS IS A SECOND PART TO CHAPTER 8; PLEASE GO BACK AND READ THAT FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!

He snatched Merlin up and slung him over one shoulder, charging the beast he'd shouted at. The serket fell back, but there was another behind it. The second creature couldn't maneuver its pincers around the first, but its tail struck with frightening speed. Arthur parried that strike but was distracted from the other opponents surrounding them.

There was a breathy call of warning from Merlin, but Arthur's blade was still engaged with a stinger. He felt an impact on his back and a thrill of terror rushed through him. He had felt no pain, which meant he was not the one to bear the wound.

"Merlin!"

The other man let out a choked sound of distress and Arthur turned his blade, cutting off the serket's stinger. With only a cursory glance at the other attackers, he pelted off into the forest. He tried his hardest to steady Merlin as he ran, but he knew it wasn't enough even as the servant's gasps grew more and more infrequent.

Arthur hazarded a glance back and saw only two were still following, and one of them was the one he'd cut the stinger from.

Regaining his bearings after the frenzy of their initial escape, he recalled there should be a cave of sorts nearby with a small entrance. Once in he could set Merlin down and at least harry if not kill the beasts with minimal danger. Then he could tend to Merlin.

His own breaths were strained by the time their shelter came into view- more of an empty space in a pile of rocks than a proper cave, but it would do. The prince squeezed in, careful that Merlin didn't get scraped by the stone, and quickly assessed the area. It was dry, reasonably clear of hiding places for further dangers, and deep enough they could be safe if the serkets were able to reach their pincers in.

"Stay with me, Merlin," he muttered as he settled the man on the ground. The servants eyes were still open and somewhat aware so for now he could pretend he didn't see the wound that would almost surely take Merlin's life.

Their besiegers shrieked outside and Arthur flinched. Merlin's lips moved but he couldn't hear anything over the racket.

"I'll take care of them," he assured, gripping his friend's shoulder for a moment before turning back toward the entrance.

One of the beasts was trying to get a claw into their hiding place but its hard shell didn't allow for the flexibility it would need. Arthur stabbed at its unprotected joint and nearly lost his sword when it got stuck there. He pulled back, massaging his jolted arm. The serkets could not reach them but it also seemed he would not be able to effectively attack them without leaving the shelter- and he couldn't do that with Merlin depending on him. Leaving the serkets to scrabble at the rocks keeping them out, Arthur turned back to his manservant.

From the look of him Merlin was barely hanging on: his eyelids drooped, his skin was pale and shining with sweat, his breaths didn't even disturb the dust he was lying in.

"None of that, Merlin," he propped him against the wall in a way he hoped would ease his breathing, trying to sound brusque- not that Merlin was in any state to appreciate the effort or even understand what was happening at this point. Still the idiot tried to reply.

"Help…" he made an especially loud gasp and Arthur felt his heart seize, "on..."

He fell silent, eyes closed, and Arthur shook him slightly. "Merlin, I said none of that." No response. "Merlin?"

The body slid from the wall to slump against Arthur and the prince quaked at the sight of dark blood soaking his friend's back. "Merlin!"

Then there was a roar so loud everything. just. stopped.

Arthur had only heard its like once before in his life and he'd thought to never hear such again.

The serkets were screeching once more, but this time in pain. The orange glow of the dragon's flames lit the walls of the hideaway.

It seemed this day was determined to fit in every nightmare he'd ever dreamt.

He waited, frozen in dreadful anticipation, but the flames didn't come to roast them where they hid. Perhaps the dragon did not know of their presence? His hope grew as the serkets fell silent in death and the orange glow petered out.

"It is safe to come out." An old voice resonated throughout the cave. Arthur was loath to entertain the speaker, but Merlin needed whatever help he could get and he hadn't seen or heard any further sign of aggression. He cautiously peered out the entrance but saw no one.

The prince threw a glance back at Merlin who hadn't moved except to slide further onto the ground. He squinted out into the deepening gloom and still saw no sign of another person. "My… friend needs aid. Do you live nearby? Could you help him?"

"Up here," the voice boomed and Arthur startled at the volume. He stepped out and looked up to find the dragon perched on the pile of rocks. He was too shocked to be afraid. "I have come to help. Bring him out so I may heal him."

Arthur felt himself gawping like a fish but couldn't get a grasp on what was happening. There was a dragon and it was talking to him. A dragon. _Talking. _To him!

Once he got over the initial shock of being spoken to by a dragon, he moved on to being shocked that there was a dragon to do the talking. It looked an awful lot like the one he had killed, but as far as he knew all dragons looked like that. Though, if that one hadn't been the last just how many of them were still out there?

"Every moment that passes puts him further into danger, princeling. Bring the boy out to me."

Shaking himself from his daze, Arthur brandished his sword. "You'll not have him."

The dragon didn't move but Arthur got the distinct impression it was rolling its eyes. It drew breath and the prince tensed, sure he was about to be assaulted by dragon fire, but only a shimmering cloud puffed out and hit him before he could dodge.

He coughed, sure the mist would be harmful, but instead found the pain in his arm fading away along with the fatigue from the day's activities. He looked back at the dragon, mouth once again hanging open and brow furrowed.

"If I wished you harm you would already be dead. Bring him out to me so I may help him."

Arthur wanted to resist, but what other hope did Merlin have? He shuffled back into the cave and gently pulled Merlin up, careful not to tug on the chains. The man was fully unconscious but clearly suffering. He was sweating more profusely now, skin hot with fever, and whimpers escaped his lips as Arthur moved him.

"Hang on, Merlin; there's hope yet," and lords he hoped he wasn't simply bringing his friend to a swifter death.

"Lay him down and step away," the dragon instructed.

Arthur hesitated but complied, arranging Merlin on his front in a way he hoped would be more comfortable. He watched, body so tense it was almost painful, as the dragon drew a deep breath and expelled a much larger, much brighter version of the cloud it had used to heal Arthur. The prince couldn't look away as the magic seeped into his friend's body and the chains disintegrated. The servant relaxed slightly, but did not wake.

All was still for several moments after the cloud dissipated then the dragon rose, wings extended as if to leave.

"Wait! He's not healed yet; you can't just leave!"

The dragon huffed, though it sounded almost amused when it answered. "He will wake when he is able. The serket's poison is strong and had time to spread; it will take time for my enchantment to heal him. You must watch over him and make sure he rests until the magic finishes its work."

Arthur frowned at the mention of magic and enchantment (not that it could have been anything else, of course, but he hadn't wanted to think about it). "But-"

"Farewell, young prince." The dragon took off, flying into the growing darkness of night.

Afraid to look but needing to know, Arthur eased Merlin's bloodied jacket and tunic out of the way to get a look at the wound. The skin had sealed, looking more like a weeks-old scar than a recent injury, but the flesh still looked grey and felt over-warm. He looked at the rising moon with consternation. It was too late to be heading back now, particularly with Merlin's condition to consider.

He'd already settled Merlin back in the cave and was collecting firewood when he remembered what had sparked this whole incident- Morgause had been in the woods with at least two of her followers. He didn't know what had lead up to Merlin getting captured and questioned but he knew it couldn't mean anything good for Camelot. Still, the best approach would be to wait until Merlin could tell him what had happened. He only hoped it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

When Merlin woke he was thoroughly disoriented, vertigo making the world spin before he'd even opened his eyes. He couldn't help groaning in displeasure. Something warm landed on his arm and while that gave him some feeling of place it certainly didn't ground him; instead it felt like he was twirling around the point of contact.

"Open your eyes, Merlin."

He didn't really think that was a good idea, but the voice was insistent. Still, he resisted until the warm thing started shaking him.

"Please, stop..." he forced the words out through lips that felt numb, afraid he might throw up at any moment and who knows where the vomit would land in this topsy-turvy world. Opening his eyes had done nothing to set things to rights and the visual element only made things more unsettling.

"Make it stop." He probably sounded pathetic, but didn't particularly care since he was also _feeling_ pathetic. His eyes were already screwed shut once more.

"What's happening, Merlin? Talk to me," Arthur shook him again, the insensitive prat.

"Stop shaking," he swallowed the bile he could taste creeping up his throat, "sick."

He heard shuffling and assumed Arthur had moved back. Sensible.

"Just… just hold still. I've got some water here, if that would help?"

Arthur sounded thoroughly out of his element and Merlin would have teased him if he weren't so miserable. "No. Cold."

"I'll build up the fire."

Merlin was asleep before Arthur had added even a single twig.

…

The next time he woke things were much more tolerable. His back felt as if he'd slept on rock without a bedroll for a week, and his stomach still gurgled in protest when he tried to sit up, but at least he could tell which was the ground and which the ceiling.

"Back with me, Merlin?" The prince asked in that not-as-disinterested-as-he-thought-it-sounded tone of his, helping him sit up against the cave wall.

"Mostly," he grimaced as his back twinged. "What happened after I was hit? How did we escape?" _How am I still alive?_

Arthur froze for a moment, suspended in the middle of uncorking his water skin, then turned away.

"Some druids showed up and scared away the serkets. They treated your wound. Don't know why you went and swooned like a blushing maiden, _Mer_lin. It was hardly a serious injury."

Except he knew that it had been. He had a vague memory of doing something… _oh._ He had called Kilgharrah, and as oblivious as Arthur could be surely it was impossible for him to miss a fully-grown dragon. The interesting part was that the prince seemed intent on keeping the truth a secret.

"Then I shall have to thank them," he answered, aware the silence had stretched a little too long and Arthur had fixed him with a concerned eye.

"No need," the prince insisted, shoving the water skin into his servant's hands. "I've already thanked them; they wanted no other reward."

Merlin hummed, examining his master as he drank. Lords he hadn't realized how thirsty he was until this moment.

"Slow down or you'll be sick." The prince commanded, yanking the skin back and capping it. "Now..."

The younger man straightened at the heavy look on the elder's face.

"What was Morgause doing so close to Camelot?"


	10. 3x01b - Make a stand!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: THIS IS A SECOND PART TO CHAPTER 8; PLEASE GO BACK AND READ THAT FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!

Arthur slowly circled Merlin, facing out toward the serkets with blade at the ready. He keenly felt the absence of his armor, left behind as unnecessary when he'd only been going out for a quick stroll to clear his head (and because his servant hadn't been there to put it on). At least he always kept a sword with him.

The beasts had made no further move to approach since the first had come and retreated, but Arthur's worry was increasing with every wheezing breath he heard from Merlin. A quick glance showed the man was still upright and seemed alert, but he was clearly struggling against collapse.

"Steady on, Merlin, we've come through worse."

The answering huff held the faintest suggestion of a laugh.

"Leon and the guards on duty will realize I've yet to return. They'll send out knights to aide us." At least he hoped so. He'd left no indication of where he was going or what he would be doing, but he'd also made no effort to hide his route. At the very latest Leon would be alerted at the change of the guard, which would be happening soon judging by how dark the sky was growing.

Merlin made some sort of reply but it was barely even audible let alone intelligible. When he turned to ask what he'd said there was a shriek behind him and he spun back around to find several of the creatures in a pile, fighting each other.

Arthur had no idea what had set them off, but it could only be good for them. "See, Merlin-"

A soft thump and the clinking of chains had him whirling back to his friend, kneeling where Merlin had collapsed. Arthur was alarmed to find Merlin's face colorless aside from a faint blue tinge to his lips.

"Oi, dollophead," the prince gently slapped his servant's face and his eyes opened, but didn't focus. Merlin's lips moved and there was a faint sound, reminiscent of a hound's growl when it first started out, but Arthur couldn't make out any words. "Stop trying to talk and just focus on breathing."

But it was too late, the idiot passed out in the middle of whatever he was trying to say.

_Nonononono, this was _not _happening._ His fingers itched to tear at the chains but Merlin couldn't afford the consequences. Already the links were biting into his clothes, if they got any tighter they might start breaking bones. Then again, they were still gleaming despite the lack of sun so they may be getting tighter regardless.

The sound of swirling leaves brought Arthur back to the fight and he raised his sword in time to ward off the stinger before it struck either of them. The serket backed off, though not quite as far away as it had been.

The prince assessed the current situation and found even more of the creatures had joined the in-fighting at one end of the ring, leaving open spots in their line, but the rest had drawn in closer and were clicking their pincers.

"Your timing is impeccable as usual, Merlin," he murmured.

The one Arthur had repelled came forward again, this time attacking with its pincers. The prince's blade caught in their serrated edge, leaving him unprotected for a crucial moment and the beast struck with its tail.

Nearly overwhelmed with pain from where the stinger pierced his shoulder and already feeling the poison's effects, Arthur barely managed to avoid being caught by the serket's other claw. Fortunately for him, the beast had dropped his sword and he snatched it up, burying it to the hilt in the joint between the thing's natural armor. It shrieked and withdrew, Arthur barely reclaiming his weapon, though it didn't seem to be a mortal blow.

The royal staggered back, falling to his knees beside Merlin who hadn't roused. The chains seemed to taunt him with their twinkling. If he didn't try something now they'd both be lost.

Hoping he wasn't consigning Merlin to a horrible death, Arthur pulled out the dagger he kept in his boot – amazed Merlin actually remembered to return it after polishing the blade yesterday. Keeping a weather eye on the serkets, Arthur inserted the point of the blade into one of the chain's links and carefully applied pressure to force it apart. It resisted at first and Arthur feared he'd wind up slipping and stabbing himself or his servant, but then the chains gleamed brighter – and it seemed to Arthur there was an answering gleam from the dagger – and the link popped open.

Working as quickly as his wavering sight and increasingly weak limbs could manage, Arthur removed the chain binding his friend.

"This is no time for a nap, Merlin," he huffed, but the other man didn't stir. There was a strange sound behind him and a spray of dead leaves, but when he turned to investigate the forest swirled around him and he knew no more.

…

When he opened his eyes, it was to find Merlin poking at a small fire. The servant didn't immediately notice he'd woken, so he took that moment to assess his friend's condition. He was clearly exhausted, still pale and holding himself stiffly, but leagues better than the near-corpse he had been.

"Still alive then, Merlin?"

"Arthur," the servant was beside him in a flash, smile downright blinding, "how do you feel?"

The prince thought about that for a moment, shifting experimentally before allowing Merlin to help him up. "I feel… unharmed. But how is this possible? I was hit, I could feel the poison!"

The younger man raised an eyebrow at him. "You expect me to know? I was unconscious until a few moments ago. I thought maybe the knights had come, as you'd said, but I've seen no sign of them- or any other people."

Merlin turned back to the fire as he answered and Arthur wondered if it was just his own confusion that made him so suspicious of the servant's response. Still, he had no real reason to discount it aside from the sheer luck of it all. But then, things like this were always happening when he was with Merlin.

Whatever the case, there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Then tell me this, Merlin: what was Morgause doing so close to Camelot?"


	11. 5x13 The Diamond of the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5x13 The Diamond of the Day - Merlin accompanies Arthur to Camlann without first restoring his magic

Merlin woke, heart pounding so loud it temporarily drowned out the distant sounds of war.

“Gaius!” He started pulling the man up and pushing him toward the exit even before the elder was fully awake, shoving his kit into one hand. “The Saxons are attacking; they found a secret pass. You have to retreat down the mountain!”

“What? Merlin-”

The younger man paused briefly in his dash toward the king's tent.

“Where are you going? You don't have-”

“I know, Gaius! But... it'll work out.” A brief smile lifted his lips before he disappeared into the night.

* * *

Pushing his way past the knights guarding the tent flap, Merlin set to preparing the king for battle.

“What are you doing here, idiot?” Arthur said, impatience and worry evident as Guinevere belted Excalibur over his chain mail.

“My job,” the servant replied, swatting the blond's fingers away from where they fumbled with a metal cuff.

“Fine, but you're getting yourself and Guinevere to safety as soon as I'm off.”

Merlin didn't answer, focusing on calming his frantic movements enough to fasten the shoulder plate properly. Yes, he'd been without magic since Morgana had sent that... _thing_, but he couldn't abandon his friends now. Not here. Besides, if that dream he'd just had was accurate he should still be able to use his talents somehow. He _is_ magic, after all. Certainly if Arthur's life were threatened it would work... wouldn't it?

The queen gave her husband a quick kiss before setting his helmet in place. “Be safe.” Her voice was strong despite the tears in her eyes.

Arthur nodded, hesitated slightly as he looked at Merlin, then hurried to the battlefield without further speech.

Taking up one of the king's spare swords, the warlock followed his master.

“Merlin!”

The queen's escort kept her from chasing after both of them and Merlin was relieved to see Sir Leon among them – he would be sure to keep Gwen and Gaius safe along with the other non-combatants.

“Arthur!”

Merlin ran faster as he recognized Mordred's enraged voice, throwing up one hand and begging for something to happen as the former druid advanced upon his king. Morgana stood to the side, smiling with cruel delight as Aithusa cut off Arthur's retreat – not that he would have tried to escape, but it made it difficult for help to reach him. Help that didn't happen to be a dragonlord, that is.

“**Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai! Weas!” **He roared, praying this one gift was left him at the least.

The white dragon reared up, startled at the sudden command, and shrieked in protest.

“**Ithi!”**

Aithusa leapt into the sky, wings laboring to carry her away. Morgana screamed.

Arthur risked a look over his shoulder, not knowing what to think when Merlin was the one standing there.

“What are you doing, Merlin?” He ground out between clenched teeth as he returned to pointing his sword at his sister.

“Saving your royal-”

“Emrys!” The witch raised a hand and Merlin flew through the air to crash against the cliff-side, falling to the ground in a daze.

The attack took just enough of Morgana's attention for Arthur to lung forward, his sword piercing her chest. She choked slightly but gave him a condescending smile.

“No mortal blade can slay me, _brother_.”

“Arthur, behind you!” Merlin cursed, his cry clearly too weak to be heard over the din of battle. _Come on, work! _He desperately tried to cast his magic at Mordred, who was sneaking up behind the monarch.

“Ástríce! Ástríce; ástríce, ástríce, ástríce...” _No, no, no, no, no. _He panted a bit, then _pushed_. **“Ástríce**!**”**

His anguished cry filled the air as the spell released, feeling as if it had torn something from his very being. Mordred, a mere arm's-length away from killing The Once and Future King, was hurled out of sight.

He must have passed out for a moment since Arthur was now shaking him.

“Merlin! Merlin, wake up.”

Groaning seemed an appropriate response – a good thing too, since that was all he could manage for the moment.

“There you are, dollophead – where are you hurt?”

“....ma-gic...” Yeah, that was going to help.

“We can talk about that after Gaius has you fixed up.” Arthur reached an arm around Merlin's back and started lifting him, affording the warlock a view of Mordred, once again creeping up on them.

Gathering what strength remained, he pushed it all out at once, body stiffening in anticipation of pain.

“**Acwele!****”**

* * *

“He's _glowing_, Gaius.”

“And you said this was the result of Morgana's spell?”

“That's what I told the men, but...”

...

“Are you saying he's dying? I can't accept that; there must be something we can do.”

“Sire, he used magic when he should have had none; the only possible solution would be to replace that and- no... there just might be a way...”

…

“Merlin, I need you to wake up.”

“_Please_, Merlin...”

“'M 'wake...” he mumbled through lips reluctant to part, catching only snatches of sound as his consciousness flickered in and out, eyes remaining stubbornly closed.

“I need you to call the dragon back, Merlin.”

His mind didn't seem to be able to grasp the meaning of those words at this moment, particularly as they were spoken by Arthur Pendragon, of all people. A calloused hand gripped the back of his neck and warm breath tickled his skin as someone touched their forehead to Merlin's own.

“_Mer_lin; call that dragon or you'll be in the stocks until you're permanently stained tomato red.”

Threats were still understood. He took a deep breath and formed the words as clearly as he could, voice barely audible.

“_**O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes...”**_

* * *

“That is not the same dragon.”

That's all Arthur could think when the giant beast landed in front of them. He had been expecting a relatively small, white creature. This one looked suspiciously similar to the dragon Merlin had claimed he'd slain – but that was something to be examined another day. It was better this way, regardless; he'd been uncertain the other one would even be able to carry _Merlin_ let alone the both of them.

“Kilgharrah,” Gaius stepped forward and beckoned Arthur closer as well. “Merlin needs to get to the crystal cave as quickly as possible.”

“So I see,” the ancient voice rumbled, startling the king. “Lay him before me and I shall carry him.”

“I'm coming as well.” Arthur insisted, the dragon surveying him with a jaundiced eye before huffing.

“If you must.” He crouched down so the warrior could climb onto his back before grasping the gently-glowing warlock, occasional sparks of magic detaching from his skin and floating off on the breeze. With no further warning they took to the air.

It was several rapid heartbeats later when Arthur managed to open his eyes, the wonder of the starry sky only managing to take the edge off his tension. Entirely too much had happened in the past hours. Merlin... he wanted to be mad about the magic, but it was hardly appropriate now – especially if even half of what Gaius had told him turned out to be true. Why did the idiot have to be such a martyr? He'd probably kept everything to himself out of some foolish desire to save others trouble. _He's such a... turnip head!_ If he hadn't been so high up he would have kicked something.

Come to think of it, hadn't they been higher before? Even as he thought it, the dragon dipped further down.

“Are we getting close?”

“I regret,” the creature – _Kilgharrah_ – wheezed, “that I can bear you no further.”

“Wha-”

They landed rather roughly, the dragon striving to spare his lord the impact and causing himself further distress in the effort. Once down he relaxed into the ground, breathing heavily.

“Are you alright?” Arthur asked, though his concern was truly directed toward his unconscious friend.

“I am old, young king, and my time comes soon. If you would, tell Merlin... I am sorry, but we may not meet again.”

The monarch nodded, not quite sure if he should feel guilty as he left the creature behind, heading toward the Valley of the Forgotten Kings as Gaius had indicated.

“Arthur...”

He froze as the weak voice issued from the body slung over his shoulder.

“Merlin?” He settled the man against a tree and took out his waterskin. “Here, drink.”

The servant did so, gazing at him strangely. “Why are you doing this?”

A lot of answers came to mind, but if ever there was a time for sincerity this was it.

“Because you're my friend and I don't want to lose you.” There was silence between them for only a moment. “Why did you never tell me?”

Merlin's lips quirked. “Wanted to... but you'd have taken my head off.”

“...I'm not sure what I would have done.”

“And I didn't want to put you in that position.”

“_That's_ what worried you?”

Merlin tilted his head back to stare his master straight in the face, the most movement he'd managed since he'd been carried to Gaius.

“I was born to serve you, Arthur... and I'm proud of that.”

“I... Merlin?” The warlock's eyes had closed once more, head lolling to the side. “No; I can't lose you...”

Too afraid to check for breath, Arthur instead pulled his friend back up and over one shoulder, stumbling into the valley with a procession of magic sparks leading the way.

* * *

He felt a sort of humming in his bones when he entered the cave – and this had to be the place. Crystals glowed blue all around him and there was a golden mist collecting around the ceiling, more bits joining the cloud as they left Merlin.

What was he supposed to do now?

“Give him to me.”

The dragonlord appeared before him, blue as his father's ghost had been.

“Balinor?”

“I will take him,” the apparition held out its arms and Merlin's body drifted into them, Arthur just barely preventing himself from grabbing hold and refusing to surrender his friend.

“You're his father, aren't you?”

The spirit only glanced at him before carrying Merlin deeper into the cave, disappearing into a tunnel that radiated blue light.

Without an immediate task to perform, Arthur collapsed in an exhausted heap, falling asleep without intending to do so.

~*~

“Arthur.”

He woke to a familiar face grinning down at him. It was like the perilous lands all over again, just... more blue.

“Merlin...” he pulled the younger man into an embrace, squeezing tightly.

The servant laughed, happily returning the hug.

The serious discussions could wait until later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I have done some writing since the previous chapter was posted I've not managed to finish any single story so I've decided to cross-post some of my older stuff from ff.net that suits the theme. Hope everyone's staying safe out there ♥


	12. *1x10 The Moment of Truth*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1x10 The saving of Ealdor goes a little worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Spoilers) Including this note at the beginning to warn for Major Character Death. Applicable chapters will be marked with asterisks. (I do welcome feedback on this approach though as I want to be fair both to those who want to avoid spoilers and those who want to avoid major character death.) I wasn't originally going to include anything that fit the bill, but looking back at the older stuff I was thinking of brushing up for this collection... most of them are Camlann stories, haha...  
So for the sake of variety I widened the net. Please do enjoy ;)

Arthur cursed internally as Merlin went running across open ground to help Morgana with the fire trap, his breath catching when the servant went down. Had he been hit? Apparently not, or if he had it was minor, judging by the way he continued sprinting toward his goal.

Any thoughts about his servant were then thrust from his mind as the flames blossomed and he gave the signal for the villagers to attack.

Between opponents the prince made sure to check on Merlin, slightly comforted when he found that Will was now guarding his friend's back. He wasn't happy with the way the youth was hunched over, but only had a moment to frown about it before two more bandits aimed their swords at him.

As if by magic the defenders suddenly found themselves with no more opponents, and Arthur made his way over to his servant- who was now being forced to sit on a bench by a frantic-looking Will.

The prince hastened his step and arrived just as William took off at a run.

"Merlin, what's wrong?" His overly-pale face was dripping with sweat and his face contorted in agony.

Cloudy blue eyes swiveled to meet the royal's. "Ar-thur."

The voice was faint, disturbingly so.

"Merlin, tell me what happened- I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

The servant huffed a laugh. "Nothing... you can do- I'm dying."

Arthur looked at the man then, really _looked_, and saw the blood pouring out of his side between pallid fingers to join the river running down his chain mail and soaking his trousers. It upset him to admit he had noticed this some time ago but simply refused to acknowledge it. Merlin _couldn't_ be dying; it was inconceivable.

"Merlin, don't talk like that. We'll get you inside and patch you right up."

The servant shook his head. "It'll be less painful to just die here." The prince tried to interject but Merlin wouldn't let him. "Listen, prat. You're going to be a great king some day, and I'm sorry I won't get to see it. Just... remember to listen. Listen to your people, to Gaius, to Gwen and Morgana- listen to your heart."

Just then Will returned with Hunith who fell to her knees in front of her son.

"Merlin!" She wailed, weeping bitterly. He favored her with as wide a grin as he could manage.

"I love you, mother," he whispered, dripping red hand falling into his lap and body slumping further as his consciousness lapsed.

"Merlin, no, you can't do this..." Arthur shook the younger man's shoulders.

"Prat..."

The prince leaned forward to hear the barely-whispered words.

"Thank you."

Arthur let the tears fall down his face as his first true friend passed from the world.


	13. 2x12 The Fires of Idirsholas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2x12 – Merlin's "first battle wound" is a little more serious

"Run, Merlin!" Arthur cried, knowing there was no hope of winning against their undying foes. The idiot ignored him, instead pushing the prince away from their attackers. "What are- do as I say!"

"Behind you!" Seeing the sword descending toward his servant's back, Arthur tried to switch places but Merlin had started to turn back in response to his warning and took the strike with a cry of pain.

The prince again tried to interpose himself between Merlin and their enemies but the stubborn mule shook his head and dragged his master toward the exit. Merlin was saying something but Arthur couldn't understand a word over his own shouted protests and the sound of the place coming down around them. He barely managed to move his companion out of the way of falling debris before he collapsed with a groan.

"Not here, Merlin," he forced the other man to rise and supported him as they escaped the crumbling ruins to take refuge in the forest, panting with effort.

"How bad is it?" He didn't wait for an answer, spinning the other man around and helping him remove his sliced-open jacket.

"Ow! Don't pull on- ow!"

"Stop being such a girl, Merlin," he responded automatically, focusing on his friend's wound. By the look of it the blade had been partially repelled by his shoulder blades, causing it to scrape down his back. There was a lot of blood; it would almost certainly need stitching. "Bear with it."

He took out his dagger and cut a notch in the bottom of Merlin's tunic, tearing it into a long strip.

"Don't- Hey!"

"It's ruined anyway, and we'll need a lot to wrap this up."

Merlin's protests died down abruptly as he swayed in place. Arthur caught his elbow and lowered him to the ground. "Stay with me now; I'm not going to carry you back to Camelot."

The only reply he got was a flinch and hiss as he tentatively dabbed at the wound.

"Just- just wrap it up and Gaius will clean it." Merlin was starting to look slightly ill at the sensation of his probing so Arthur relented.

"Right."

They accomplished the task silently aside from the occasional grunt of pain – which Arthur was generous enough to ignore – and set off with as fast a stride as Merlin could manage half-supported by the prince.

Unfortunately reaching the citadel was not the relief they had expected.

Red-cloaked bodies littered the flagstones and castle staff slumped over their workplaces as silence reigned.

"What's going on?" Arthur stopped and gazed about in confusion. Behind him a horse dutifully pulled a cart up to a pile of goods, waiting patiently for its master to alight and start loading.

Leaning Merlin against a crate, the prince checked the driver who seemed to only be asleep – though nothing he did could rouse the man.

"We need Gaius," Merlin's voice was as unsteady as the man himself but that didn't stop him from pushing away from his support and stumbling towards the steps. Arthur rolled his eyes and caught the servant before he fell over.

"Yes, you do. Come on." He resumed his hold on the man (awkward due to trying to avoid pressing on the injury) and helped him up the stairs only to be faced with more slumbering forms. Who could have done this? And why?

"My father!" He almost dashed off without a second thought but his movement jostled Merlin enough to elicit a loud hiss that brought him back from the brink of panic.

"Just go," Merlin forced the words from clenched teeth.

"You didn't listen to me when I told you that," Arthur huffed, resolving to at least get Merlin to the infirmary. It wasn't that big of a detour, surely.

However his mounting tension did nothing but make the pair clumsy, nearly leading them to trip over a sleeping maid.

"I can make it the rest of the way, Arthur. You should get to the king."

This time he listened, only glancing back once as he rushed to his father's side.

* * *

Merlin took a moment to let the pain subside before resuming his upward climb. Sure the blood loss was making him a bit weak but he'd gone further in worse condition. Or had he? Well, probably. Doesn't matter. Once he got to Gaius' he could work everything out without having to worry about Arthur hovering over his shoulder.

Ah, he really shouldn't have moved his arm like that. He sat back down for a moment as the pain increased. Come to think of it he was really tired. Maybe he should just... the jolt of pain as his back hit the step pulled him back to reality. Whatever had gotten everyone else must be getting to him as well.

_Gotta get to Gaius._ He let the words repeat and echo in his mind like a mantra, focusing on resisting the pull of sleep as his trembling legs walked the familiar route. What he would do if Gaius wasn't awake to help – well, he'd figure that out if it happened.

* * *

Arthur charged through the corridors, searching for his father. The throne room had been empty so now he made his way to the king's private chambers. A sound drew his eye to Morgana's quarters.

The door was open and beyond was Guinevere laid out on the floor. As he moved her to the bed he saw movement behind a curtain. Drawing his sword as silently as he could, he crept toward the hiding place and whipped the heavy fabric aside.

Morgana screamed and only his reflexive catching of her arm kept the lady from escaping.

"It's me, Morgana, it's me!" He soothed. The terror in her eyes only lessened slightly but she stopped struggling against his grip. He'd never seen her so frightened.

"What's happened?" He asked, steadying her.

"I didn't know it was you!" She gasped.

"Just tell me what happened," he tried to hold her gaze but she ducked her head.

"People started saying they weren't feeling well..."

"What then?"

"They started falling asleep," she turned pleading eyes on him, the fear building again. "Everyone, everywhere I went!"

"Was someone here?" Yes the situation was… unusual... but it was unlike Morgana to be so afraid. There had to be something more to this, but she was shaking her head. "Then why were you hiding?"

"I told you- I didn't know who you were."

Again he found that hard to swallow. Now, if she had been hiding with a weapon waiting to ambush the unknown person in her rooms that would be normal. Still, better to focus on what mattered most.

"Where's my father?"

"I don't know."

"You were awake; you must have seen something." He held her gaze, trying to discern what was happening behind her green eyes. Eyes that were starting to look hostile. _Well that's more familiar._

"I didn't see anything."

"You saw people getting sick; what did you do?"

"What could I do?" Words he had never heard Morgana utter in his life.

"Morgana, I don't understand!" _Why is she being like this?_ "Why is it that you're the only person awake?"

She just stared at him, lips moving but no sound coming out.

He turned away. They didn't have time for this. "Come on; we have to find my father."

* * *

Merlin crawled through the infirmary door, heart dropping at the sight of Gaius collapsed at his desk.

"Gaius!" No reaction.

He made it to the table and used it to claw his way upright, feeling more blood trickle down his skin as a corner of the wound that had started to scab broke open. At least it helped push away the drowsiness that had been hounding him worse than the steward on a feast day.

Thankfully the potion he needed was on the table and he wouldn't have to go fumbling through the cupboard. He drank it in one go and followed it up with several gulps of water. Did water always taste so good? He drank some more before forcing himself to stop. Too much and he might dilute the potion and lose its benefits, and he really needed it to stop his bleeding as soon as possible. Speaking of things he needed...

"Augh," he groaned, stumbling into the desk. "Gaius, I really need your help," he pleaded, shaking his mentor's arm to no avail. Would he even be able to make it to his room to retrieve his magic book? It seemed he had no other choice.

Unfortunately his body had other ideas and as soon as he pushed off of the desk Merlin collapsed in a heap, sleep pulling at his eyelids.

* * *

"Father," Arthur pulled the king upright in his chair, shaking his shoulder.

"He's alright," Morgana stated, voice flat.

"He's not alright- he's asleep!" As soon as he let go, his father slumped back down. "Who could have done this?"

Morgana looked away, nervously fiddling with the handle of a sword that lay at the other end of the table.

"You're the only one who's not been affected, Morgana, there must be a reason."

The king's ward shifted her weight from foot to foot, eyes darting to the side as if in search of an ally.

"I- I don't know."

"So you keep saying. You _must_ know _something_!"

"No, they just fell asleep one by one!" There was fear in her eyes again as she bared her teeth at him.

This was all so wrong; why wouldn't she help him? Certainly he and Morgana hadn't always gotten along but the woman he knew should be more concerned about the people. If nothing else she would have picked up that sword instead of backing away from him. In fact…

"You're not Morgana at all, are you?" He accused, drawing his own weapon and aiming it at her neck.

"What?" She retreated until she hit the wall, "how could you say that?"

"Or maybe you're enchanted..." he did his best to ignore the familiar face his eyes saw, trying to discern if this was some kind of trick- like the troll had masqueraded as Lady Katrina.

Something changed in Morgana's expression then, and she half-covered her face with one hand. "Last night… I'd forgotten, thought it was just a dream..."

"What happened?"

"I- there was a woman, wearing a cloak. Her eyes flashed and… and I woke up in my bed."

"And who was this woman; was there anyone else with her?"

Morgana stomped her foot in frustration. "I don't know! I told you I thought it was just a dream; that's all I can remember!"

He wanted to believe her, but even if this was the truth it certainly didn't remove the possibility of her being enchanted.

"I'm sorry I have to do this, Morgana."

She didn't even have time to protest before he'd knocked her out.

* * *

Merlin felt the grip of the sleeping spell ease and he fought it back with effort. Something had changed. He looked over at his mentor who was now snoring.

"Gaius!" The elder snorted and shifted but did not wake. Still, it was progress.

"Come on, move," he told himself, dragging his body to the back room as his wound screamed at the abuse.

An eternity passed but he managed to retrieve his spell book and return to Gaius' side. He flipped through the pages, trying one that seemed to work but in fact only made Gaius look like a wide-eyed statue of himself.

"Maybe something else then..."

Ignoring the one that broke the stool and knocked both of them onto the floor, the third one worked perfectly.

"Merlin!" Gaius spluttered, wiping the magically-summoned water from his face.

"Gaius," he smiled wanly, much more aware of the way his back was twinging now that some of his tension was relieved.

"What's happened, my boy," the physician rose quickly, helping his ward onto a cot.

"Oh, not much. Got attacked by the knights of Medhir, came back to find all of Camelot asleep." He really wanted to have a kip now, and not because of the spell this time.

Gaius clicked his tongue at the prince's slapdash bandage job, cutting the fabric scraps away to reveal the damage beneath. "Merlin, this is serious, you shouldn't have been running about like this!"

"And what else could I do? We need to figure out what's happening and stop it." He hissed as Gaius cleaned his back; the sting of disinfectant was never pleasant. "The sleeping spell is weaker now – maybe Arthur did something – but we still have the knights to worry about. I doubt they were summoned for no reason."

"Hm." Gaius prepped his needle and thread, lost in thought for a moment. "Originally the knights of Medhir were put to rest when the sorceress died; they could not move without her magic. I imagine it's much the same now."

"But I don't know who summoned them this time." Merlin grit his teeth as the needle punctured his skin. The wash Gaius had used numbed the sensation somewhat but it was still deeply unpleasant.

"I would assume that they are on their way here; it can hardly be a coincidence that Camelot sleeps at the same time they have awoken."

Alright, he probably should have thought of that. "But would the sorcerer come along themselves?"

"That I don't know, but I doubt they would miss the chance to see their own victory."

Merlin had nothing to say to that, too afraid that this would indeed turn into a victory for their enemies.

* * *

After his third failed attempt Arthur had to admit to himself he didn't have the strength left to get his father into the bed, but at least he'd managed to move him to an out-of-the-way guest room. He'd blame Merlin if the king complained about waking up in a wardrobe.

_Merlin…_

With everything that was happening, worry for the servant had been pushed to the back of his mind but now he could think of nothing else but going to check on him. That aside, they would need Gaius' help to resolve this situation. It would have to be quick; he could feel his own steps getting heavy as he made his way to the infirmary.

The sound of horses and metal drew his eyes to the window through which he saw the seven knights of Medhir and another rider who removed their helmet to reveal long blonde hair. _Morgause!_

So, after failing to have him do the deed she had come to kill his father herself.

He changed course, dashing toward the entrance as fast as he could. He had no hope of defeating knights who couldn't die, but surely if he defeated the sorceress…

"Morgause!" He leveled his sword at her in challenge and she grinned, gesturing to the knights who sheathed their swords and formed a semi-circle behind her.

"Why Arthur, you're looking a little worse for wear. Do you not wish to lie down?" Her eyes flashed and he was blasted off his feet, skidding across the stone corridor to crash into the wall.

He shook his head, trying to clear vision which had gone foggy. "Face me!"

She laughed at him, pulling her sword. "Who am I to deny the great Prince of Camelot a rematch?"

Arthur charged, all his weight going into the strike. Morgause stumbled slightly, taken aback by the change in approach from their last duel.

"Feeling impatient, princeling?" She twisted her sword and turned his rush aside but Arthur pulled his dagger and plunged it toward her unguarded flank. Her eyes flashed again, sending the dagger flying out of reach. "Well that was hardly sporting of you."

Arthur panted hard, stepping back and circling warily. Sweat poured down his face and he didn't have energy left for elegance or forethought. He made another charge, managing to slice her arm as he had in their last confrontation, but in return she kicked his legs out from under him. He'd fallen for the same maneuver, just as she had, but this time he rolled out of the way before she could take his head.

"Arthur!"

_Surely that's not…_

He heard his opponent cry out then fall, and he scrambled to regain his feet. Morgause was laid out on the floor, Arthur's dagger in her shoulder, but still conscious.

He leveled his sword at her throat. "Stop your attack and release the enchantment on Lady Morgana."

"Mor- what have you done to her?"

"So it _was_ you. Release your magics at once!"

Morgause raised her hand to point at him and just as her eyes turned yellow he reacted on instinct, plunging his sword through her chest. She choked once, eyes fading, then fell back dead.

The knights stood for only a moment longer, then they too fell lifelessly to the floor.

There was a sigh and a thump behind him and he turned to see Merlin sitting on the steps. He looked like he'd been dragged through hell and back, but at least he was alive.

"Well, would you look at that," he sauntered over and to stand next to his servant, "first battle wound and first assist all in the same day."

He'd said it as nonchalantly as he could manage, but all the while he was assessing the other man's condition. Merlin still wore what remained of his tunic, but beneath it were fresh bandages and the blood had been cleaned away. The man looked as if he could sleep for a week, but Arthur himself felt much the same at this point.

Merlin scoffed but made no further reply.

Around them the castle staff were starting to wake with groans and murmurs of confusion.

"Get some rest, Merlin. I'll see you tomorrow."

Arthur looked on with envy as Merlin fell asleep right then and there, still sitting upright. He directed two guards to carry him to Gaius, then went to check on his father.

It had been close this time, but together with Merlin they'd triumphed once again. And for some reason that just felt right.

He laughed at his own foolishness; Merlin, useful? Of course not.

Still, maybe he'd give him a day off every now and again. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally completed something new! Hopefully I can keep it up but if not I'll try to keep the updates here regular with cross-posts ♥


	14. 3x02 The Tears of Uther Pendragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3x02 Arthur sees Morgana in the crypts (continuing from chapters 8-10, but mostly works on its own)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, give me a few days off and I'm on a roll...

It was only once an animated skeleton nearly hacked Merlin in half that Arthur truly grasped the gravity of the situation. Yes he'd known Morgause was involved and there would likely be sorcery leveled against them, but he had still been expecting their usual strategies to hold up as well as ever. After all, when your enemies were attacking with swords what difference was there in who wielded them? But it _was_ different.

Merlin had been well back from the front, barely out of the citadel, and he'd still nearly died – the human troops were being held back by the castle walls but these enemies had come from within. He'd been a fool to aim for a siege, trusting in the strength of their men and fortifications. They should have ridden out to meet them as soon as Arthur had returned to the city with knowledge of the attack.

As to _what_ Merlin was doing out of the citadel despite being specifically told to stay with Gaius, well…

If Arthur hadn't touched the chains with his own hands he may have believed Merlin had spent the last two days lazing about, judging by the way he was pelting across the courtyard seemingly heedless of the battle. The prince would like to think his servant was running off to cower somewhere but more likely the idiot had seen something and was rushing headlong into danger.

Arthur cursed, renewing his attack on the skeleton that assailed him until he'd cut off the creature's sword arm. He hacked the hand from the arm, kicking both as far away as he could, then kicked the rest of the body over before turning to follow his servant. No telling what trouble he'd already managed to get into in the moment it had taken to dismember his opponent.

He heard voices ahead and slowed, staying hidden until he had a grasp on the situation.

"Women and children are dying; the city will fall." That was Merlin, but who was he talking to?

"Good." _Is that-?_

"No, you don't mean that."

"I have magic, Merlin."

Arthur felt the world shift around him. _Morgana has magic? _But while he was still reeling the conversation continued.

"Uther hates me and everyone like me. Why should I feel any differently about him?"

"You of all people could change Uther's mind, but doing this? Using magic like this will only harden his heart."

_That may be true but is it really what you should be focusing on right now, Merlin? _All of this was too much, he didn't know how to react.

"You don't have magic, Merlin. How could you hope to understand?"

All else aside, the discussion certainly seemed to be moving more toward being a confrontation so it would be time for him to step in soon. Arthur began easing his way into the room, trying to keep cover between himself and the other two. Lords know Merlin would give him away by accident if he were spotted.

"I do understand, believe me."

Well, Merlin had had a sorcerer as a childhood friend.

"If I had your gifts I would harness them for good. That's what magic should be for; that's why you were born with these powers."

There was way too much to unpack there so Arthur decided to focus on his own movements. Perhaps he chose the wrong moment to do so because he missed whatever prompted Merlin's sudden lunge toward the staff planted in the floor and Morgana's counter-attack.

"Merlin!" He leapt from behind a pillar, catching Morgana's sword with his own.

"Arthur?" Merlin was confused enough he simply stopped moving for a moment, something his attacker happily took advantage of by kicking his legs out from under him.

Merlin's sword skittered away and Morgana turned her attack on Arthur.

"Morgana, it doesn't have to be like this! We can talk to my father, I'm sure-"

"Empty words!" She seethed, attacking with increased vigor.

Arthur saw Merlin retrieve his sword and start to make his way around the fight. He would have to do his best to keep Morgana from noticing him.

"I don't want to fight you, Morgana."

"Because you can't win?" Her face was more akin to a snarling tiger than the king's ward.

"Because… because you're like a sister to me."

Morgana flinched as if struck and her body stilled.

Behind him he heard Merlin's voice just before he cleaved the staff in two.

"No!" Morgana screamed and the crypt shook as force went out from her.

Arthur was knocked down and would have been crushed if Merlin hadn't pulled him out of the way. He nodded his thanks, too breathless for speech, and turned back to their assailant.

Morgana lay on the floor, knocked out by falling rubble. Above they heard the sound of Camelot's people cheering as the besiegers sounded their retreat.

Arthur and Merlin exchanged a look. He had no idea where they would go from here, but for now the city was safe.


	15. 4x06  A Servant of Two Masters (postscript)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4x06 A Servant of Two Masters – Merlin remembers everything he did

He thought he’d performed admirably; smiling for everyone, pretending not to understand when Gwen awkwardly tried to talk about how he’s been feeling… he was even doing a marvelous job now, stifling the sound of him sobbing into his pillow. The nightmares allowed him less rest than the fomorrah had - well, he called them nightmares but for the most part they were memories. Memories, not only of the things he had done, but the dark feelings of hatred and the writhing presence of evil under his skin and in his mind.

Merlin shuddered, taking a shaky breath as he tried to calm down, willing his thoughts to turn anywhere else. He should know by now that trying _not_ to think about something was the perfect way to ensure he’d think of nothing else.

He turned onto his back, pressing the dry side of his pillow onto his face. He’d had every intention of dying to save Arthur when he’d caused that rock fall; how could his intended sacrifice have gone so wrong?

Well, he knew how: Morgana. What he didn’t know was if it had been her intention to capture someone, or if she had been aiming to kill Arthur in the attack.

Merlin sighed. Did it matter? The end result was the same.

He shifted the pillow enough to look out the window, seeing the moon high in the sky. Knowing he’d get no restful sleep that night, he lit the bedside candle and retrieved his magic book. He could at least try to get some studying done.

* * *

Arthur was barely awake enough to understand Merlin’s excuses as he rushed out the door before the royal was even properly out of bed. Still, his clothes were laid out and breakfast was on the table so he supposed he could let Gaius have the man’s services for the morning. He’d have to consult the physician on the health of his kingdom; Merlin had been spending much more time in the elder’s service than usual. In fact, he’d hardly seen the man since… well, since… _that_ happened.

Arthur rubbed his forehead, not keen on thinking about… _that_.

Merlin had seemed normal for the first few days, but perhaps he’d irritated his injury by trying to do too much too soon. Arthur had assumed the wound hadn’t been as bad as it had looked, seeing as Merlin had come stumbling out of a bog in seemingly good health, but for all he knew the man might’ve eaten some questionable mushrooms and been on a high at the time. Honestly he wouldn’t put it past that idiot.

He rubbed his face, feeling a Merlin-headache coming on. No. He’d enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast, _then_ he’d go check in on the clotpole.

…

“Gaius?” He pushed open the door and looked around but saw no sign of the physician or his ward. Well, that rather hindered his plans. He was almost out the door when a sound from the back room caught his ear. “Merlin? Are you there?”

He didn’t wait for a response, opening the door to find his servant curled up on his bed- looking for all the world like he was trying to smother himself with his pillow.

“Are... are you alright?” Arthur had no idea how to interpret this situation, and Merlin wasn’t making it any better by freezing up and responding without putting the pillow down.

“F-fine,” the loud hiccup that followed that statement made it even less believable.

“Is your wound bothering you? I can send for Gaius.” He started backing out of the room. Arthur had no idea how to deal with tears in the best of circumstances and he was pretty sure Merlin was crying behind that pillow.

Unfortunately for him what small amount of a brave front Merlin had been able to put up had washed away and the servant curled even tighter as he released a heartbreaking sob.

Alarms rang in Arthur’s head and he stood rooted to the spot. He was absolutely _not_ prepared for this level of emotion. They’d had their moments, but _never_ had Merlin been vulnerable in front of him like this. In fact, no one had outside of people begging for their lives (but he didn’t like that comparison).

Merlin had just started wailing when Gaius returned. Arthur leveled him with a pleading gaze forceful enough to make the elder step back. Fortunately Gaius heard the source of his trouble without needing it explained.

“I’ll help him, Sire,” the physician said, sweeping the king out of the room and closing the door.

Arthur wasn’t sure if he was supposed to leave or stay, but honestly that scene had shaken him.

He left, intent on clearing his mind with some arms practice.

* * *

Try as he might to clear his head Arthur just couldn’t stop thinking about it. He hadn’t even _asked_ Merlin how he’d gotten away from the bandits. Maybe he hadn’t; maybe they’d tortured him and thrown him away. Maybe he’d had to do something terrible to escape.

The only time he’d actually seen Merlin cry was when the dragonlord died, and he still didn’t understand that one. Hell, even with Lancelot-

Maybe that was it, then. It hadn’t been all that long since Lancelot had sacrificed himself for Camelot but Merlin had been pretending everything was normal. The two of them had been close; perhaps Merlin was missing him? Unless- no, surely he’d have heard if something had happened to Hunith.

Arthur sent the head of the practice dummy flying and paused to catch his breath.

Well, Gaius was taking care of him now so he should be informed of his servant’s condition soon enough. Then again, the physician could be even more evasive than his ward…

Arthur sighed, sheathed his sword, and set off for the infirmary.

“Gaius? Merlin?” He pushed open the infirmary door more hesitantly than he’d like to admit. The physician emerged from the back room, solemn expression making him look even older.

“Did you need something, Sire?”

“I just… wanted to check on Merlin,” he admitted, eyes darting to the door in the back before meeting the elder’s.

Gaius nodded, and started rifling through some potions on a shelf.

“Give him time, Arthur. He’s had a rough go of it lately.”

“Of course, Gaius.” The king shuffled his feet. “Is- is there anything I can do to help?”

The old man regarded him with one rheumy eye, brow raised.

“Don’t press him, but listen if he talks.”

“I can do that.”

“Hm.”

Gaius said nothing more, and Arthur had the distinct feeling he was being dismissed.

“Well, then, I’ll just-”

“There you are, Arthur!” Agravaine swept into the room, reaching out to clap his nephew on the shoulder. “Everything alright- you’re not injured, I trust?”

“All is well, uncle. Was there a reason you were looking for me?”

Arthur allowed himself to be lead away, only half-listening to whatever Agravaine was going on about. The talk with Gaius had done little to relieve his worry, but it seemed there was nothing to be done but wait.

* * *

_Arthur saw, Arthur saw, Arthur saw…_

As soon as he’d calmed from the previous outburst this realization hit him and sent his mind spinning.

How would he explain this? He wasn’t great at inventing excuses at the best of times… Arthur had mentioned his wound, maybe he’d accept  pain as the reason for his episode . That didn’t sit well with him, however. The king didn’t have the highest opinion of Merlin’s physical abilities to begin with; he didn’t want to completely lose the man’s respect… 

...but maybe he didn’t deserve that respect  after all . Merlin lay back, weariness settling even more deeply into his bones in the wake of his panic  and resignation .

“It pains me to see you like this, my boy.” Gaius stood in the doorway with a bowl of stew and a bread roll.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I’d imagine not, but you will only feel worse for not eating. Please, try.”

Merlin sighed but accepted the meal, picking at it while he stared at his knees.

“I don’t know what to say to him, Gaius. How can I face him after this?”

“Perhaps, in this instance, you should tell him the truth- or most of it.”

“What?” Merlin dropped his bread into the stew, nearly emptying the whole bowl. “But, Gaius, you-”

“I know that is different than my usual counsel, but in this case your magic played only a small part. We can simply tell him… ah!” the physician’s face lit with inspiration. “We can tell him the mother beast was killed in the fight between Morgana and Dragoon.”

“But why would we know about that?”

“You were trying to steal the beast and happened to be there at the right time.”

“But then I’ll get a lecture.” Still, he was warming to this tale now. “Perhaps Morgana called me back to her hut to give me instructions, and I escaped after the beast was killed by chance.”

Gaius was nodding. “Yes, that should do it.”

Good. This was good. Merlin felt himself calming- until Gaius spoke again.

“Now eat your dinner and you can go tell him tonight.”

* * *

Arthur had been mindlessly twirling his quill for at least ten minutes when Guinevere arrived with his dinner.

“Sorry, Sire, Merlin was busy.”

He dropped the pen, pushing his chair back with a screech.

“You don’t have to cover for him, I am… aware of his condition.”

“Oh… is he alright? Only, I know he’s been out of sorts lately but he never wants to talk about it.”

Arthur shook his head. “I can’t say; he won’t speak to me either.”

There was a knock on the door; Gwen stepped back from Arthur and assumed a more subservient posture.

“Enter!”

He was surprised to see Merlin  in the doorway . The man barely stepped inside the room before he started retreating.

“Oh, you’re with- I’ll just come back later.”

“Merlin!” Arthur pulled out a chair at the table and pointed to it. “Sit.”

The man still hesitated, eyes darting between him, Guinevere, and the door.

The latter picked up the dinner tray. “I’ll get out of your way.”

“No!” Merlin caught her arm as she brushed past, then quickly released it. “Um, I- could you stay?”

Gwen’s mouth formed an ‘o’ in surprise before her expression softened. “Of course, Merlin.”

Arthur was trying to be patient, honestly, but it was just too much for  _anyone _ to be making that face at Merlin- let alone Guinevere. He pulled the chair out further and pinned his servant with a glare.

Merlin walked to the chair as if he were  facing the headman’s ax and when he sat he put both arms on the table, hands clenched so tightly Arthur feared he might hurt himself.

Guinevere sat beside him, putting her hand on top of Merlin’s until he loosened his grip, then help the freed hand herself.

Arthur frowned but sat opposite the pair without saying anything.

_Listen but don’t press. You can do that._

It got harder the longer Merlin sat there silently, head bent so he couldn’t even see the man’s eyes. Guinevere had just decided to break the tension as the other servant exploded.

“Merlin-”

“I tried to kill you!”

Arthur felt as if the announcement had physically pushed him back in his chair. The words didn’t make any sense, but they had been delivered with passion.

“No, Merlin- Arthur, that’s not what happened.” Guinevere had half-stood, positioning herself as if shielding Merlin while also holding him in his seat.

“Explain.” His voice was level purely by virtue of having no idea what was happening.

“Morgana enchanted him.”

“I tried to kill you!”

The king sighed, kneading his forehead. “Thank you, Guinevere. Please sit and let Merlin speak first- even if he is clearly insane. Merlin, start from the beginning and explain properly.”

Merlin took a deep breath, shrinking in on himself as he released it. When he spoke his voice was small and strained.

“When I was- after we were separated by the rockfall, the bandits took me to Morgana. I woke up in a hut, chained to the ceiling.”

Guinevere gasped and Arthur gripped his sword under the table.

“She treated my wound,” the way he winced as he said it was probably a reflection of the job’s quality, “and summoned this… many-headed snake. Gaius called it a fomorrah. She... used it to control my mind, to get me to kill you.”

Merlin hadn’t looked at him once during the tale and it was giving Arthur a queasy feeling in his gut. “But you’re alright now? Do we need to kill this beast?”

“Gaius cut it out but it grew back,” Guinevere interjected. “Did he find a way to get rid of it?”

“Cut it out?”Arthur looked at his manservant, unnerved by the implication.

“It- one of the heads was in my neck,” Merlin raised a shaky hand to cover a spot under the knot of his neckerchief. “It’s alright, the beast is dead now.”

“Are you certain?” He was ready to head out now if necessary, Morgana be damned,.

“Yes.” Merlin took an uneven breath, raising his head but still not looking at his king. “Morgana, she… must have called me out to the forest. When I came to she was battling Dragoon. The beast must have been killed in their fight because another head never grew after Gaius removed the last one.”

“Were you hurt?” Arthur was definitely feeling queasy now, but resisted the urge to check his own neck. Dragoon’s involvement was confusing and infuriating in equal measure and, as such, was better left ignored.

Merlin shook his head but seemed disinclined to speak further. Guinevere patted his arm.

“The snake didn’t let him eat or sleep properly, and we – Gaius and I – had to knock him out to stop some of his attempts.”

“The bathwater,” Arthur said, feeling enlightened. He’d been at a loss to explain everyone’s behavior that day. “So you knew about this, Guinevere?”

“Some of it,” she nodded, “only because I happened to be there at the right time and Gaius needed assistance.”

Arthur regarded the servant who sat huddled in his chair, the very picture of abject misery. He willed himself to remain calm despite feeling a terrible need to go out and make Morgana pay.

“You could have come to me with this, Merlin. I would not have blamed you.”

“I’m telling you now?” Merlin met his eyes for the first time that evening, attempting a smile which disappeared as quickly as his eyes slid off to the side. “I didn’t… at first I didn’t remember, but it’s been coming back- mostly as nightmares.”

The younger man tensed as if waiting to be mocked.

“And you weren’t sure they were real?”

Merlin scoffed. “Oh no, I knew they were real.” He sighed. “I didn’t want you to think any less of me.”

“Merlin...” he was at a loss for how to comfort his friend, though Guinevere was shooting significant looks across the table at him as she rubbed soothing circles on Merlin’s back.

“What Arthur means to say is that he would never think less of you for that, Merlin.”

_Oh._ He  cleared his throat . “Right. Of course. I told you, didn’t I? In the forest, before we were separated. That I- that you...”

“That I’m one of the bravest men you’ve ever met?” The hint of a genuine smile now graced Merlin’s lips. “And I should be hailed as a hero?”

“Now I wouldn’t go that far.” Arthur coughed, trying to suppress the feelings that accompanied his memories of _that_ time.

Merlin  hummed but  didn’t retort and the trio fell into silence for a few moments before Merlin straightened and properly looked at him for the first time in days. “Thank you, Arthur.”

“Nothing to thank me for. Now get to bed, a sneeze could knock you over.”

Merlin snorted, but accepted the dismissal.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, prat.”

“Rest well, idiot.”

…

As Merlin crawled into bed he felt  peace settle in his heart .  Not everything could be solved by their short chat, but a large burden had been lifted. Tonight he’d sleep better than he had in weeks.


	16. 5x06 The Dark Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5x06 The Dark Tower – Merlin meets up with Gwen and the knights before Morgana springs her trap

"But he told you who Gwaine's in love with?"

"Himself!"

Merlin straightened, carefully placing the herbs he'd harvested into his bag as he heard Gwen and the knights laughing further down the trail.

"Is that Merlin I see?" Gwaine called, spotting him as he waved a greeting. "Did the princess let you out of his clutches?"

Gwen gave him a playful nudge that the knight pretended to be unbalanced by, slipping out of his saddle and clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Or maybe you ran away?" He stage-whispered, waggling his eyebrows at the servant.

Merlin laughed and also shoved him. "I'll have you know I woke up early to take care of Arthur before coming out, and I'm still working!" He squinted up at the sun. "Better be heading back or I'll be late with lunch."

Gwen smiled at him, "well, he can hardly blame you if I order you to escort me back."

"I wouldn't be too sure; he's constantly blaming me when I've done nothing wrong," Merlin grinned in response.

The group continued joking and laughing with each other as they continued their leisurely pace. However, the mood was quickly spoiled when they left the woods and the horses began to rear, upset by something in the grass.

Merlin looked down and froze. _Snakes!_

He'd never really had a problem with snakes before Morgana had jabbed one into his neck, but even without that issue the sheer number of them was unnerving. More and more appeared and the horses grew more frenzied until Leon was tossed to the ground and lay still.

"Protect the queen," Elyan shouted before instructing his sister, "head for the trees!"

"You too, Merlin," Gwaine forced his horse in between his friend and the serpents just as Percival was also thrown.

Merlin was about to protest when he felt a sinister presence nearby. _Morgana! _

He turned and ran after the queen, pumping his legs as fast as they would go. He had no chance of catching up with a horse, which is why he was so surprised when he nearly collided with the one Gwen had been riding.

"Gwen!" He called, searching the forest floor and finding his friend collapsed there.

"And look who's here again. Always getting yourself into trouble, Merlin."

He didn't even have time to reply before Morgana's spell hit him and he knew no more.

* * *

When Merlin came to he was being dragged behind a horse. His eyes were crusted with sleep and dirt from the trail so he kept them closed, trying to get a grip on his situation before giving away that he'd woken by blinking them clear.

They were likely still in the forest, judging by the rustling of leaves and the feel of the plants under his cheek. _Ouch- and that rock…_

"Morgana please, he's bleeding!"

Gwen's voice jolted him; for a moment he'd forgotten she was involved.

"Good," Morgana replied, clearly untroubled.

"But he could be dying!"

"It's no less than he deserves!" the witch snapped, silencing her former maid's pleas.

Merlin waited a moment more before prying his eyelids apart, only partially managing to clear the dirt that clung to them. He saw Gwen's gaze on him and he shook his head, willing her to keep silent.

It was moments like these where he wished he could speak telepathically with people other than druids – though in this case he couldn't be sure Morgana wouldn't overhear. He looked at his fellow captive then rolled his eyes toward the forest, repeating the action several times as Gwen's brow wrinkled then smoothed. Did she understand what he was trying to say? Well, he'd find out in a moment.

He ducked his head and coughed, using the motion to hide a quick spell which snapped the rope tying them to the horse. Gwen moved to help him but he shook her off, jerking his chin at the other side of the road.

"Run!" He called, seeing Morgana turning back. Gwen let out a small sob but obeyed, disappearing into the trees as he stumbled to his feet. The earth seemed to sway beneath him- he had really underestimated his own level of injury.

"**Gehæftan!"**

Roots sprang from the earth at her command and Merlin found himself bound shoulder to foot; it was even more unpleasant than when Anhora had done the same.

"Come out, _my Lady_, or Merlin will die."

"No, Gwen-" his bindings grew an offshoot, wrapping a tendril around his throat to silence him.

It only took a few seconds of Merlin's choking breaths before the queen reappeared, kneeling next to her friend to remove the vine cutting off his air.

"That's enough!" There was a crack and a cry as Morgana whipped Gwen across the face with the reins. She repeated her spell and more roots came forth, binding Guinevere first to the horse, then to Merlin. "Now you may drag him. Fall behind and he'll die."

Gwen stumbled when the horse started moving again but recovered quickly, looking back at Merlin with pained eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"No, Gwen, I'm sorry. I should have planned better. Next time don't worry about me and escape on your own."

"Merlin, I couldn't leave you!" She grunted at the strain of pulling him and the warlock surreptitiously started making his body lighter a little at a time.

"You're the queen now; much more important than a servant like me."

"Merlin-"

"Silence," Morgana commanded, and the trio continued on with nothing aside from the noise of the forest to accompany their thoughts.

Merlin tried to stay awake but, woozy from the head wound he'd failed to identify before their escape attempt, found himself slipping unwillingly into sleep.

* * *

"Welcome to my realm, Emrys."

Merlin spun around to see a small woman regarding him from her perch atop a large leaf. The forest seemed to form itself around her – but it was not like any forest he knew. It felt… dense, with magic heavy in the air.

"Who are you?"

She smiled, but it looked more like a snarl. "Why, I'm Queen Mab. I am the spirit of this place and all the places that bring despair to men's hearts. Few have ever seen me, Emrys. You should count yourself fortunate."

He had no reply to that and she laughed at his silence.

"You must beware, Emrys. The Priestess takes you to the Dark Tower, but the tower is not a real place. It is the heart's rest, the mind's deepest fear, the stillness in a hummingbird's eye… _You_ have a Mind's Eye; you must learn to trust it."

"Stop talking in riddles." Why did everyone do this? Is it just something that happens to magical beings as they age?

"Then I shall speak in rhyme. Heed my words which you concern, or one of you will not return."

She disappeared, her mocking laughter echoing through the forest until it too faded away and Merlin was torn from his dream by the sensation of sand scraping his cheek.

He woke to the blazing sun and oppressive heat of a desert. At least, he supposed it to be a desert. He'd heard of such places but had never comprehended what it meant for there to be nothing but rocky sand as far as the eye could see- well, sand and a giant ominous tower in the distance.

Somewhere above his head he heard Gwen's heavy breaths as she pulled him along. He had to do something- preferably something that didn't get one or both of them killed. Looking down the sharp edge of the dune they traversed, he spotted the remains of those who had failed to survive this land.

_Here goes nothing…_ Merlin silently apologized to Gwen before throwing his weight to the side. He slipped easily over the edge and started plunging toward the bleached white bones and upthrust swords of what had once been a group of fighters.

"Merlin!" Gwen tried desperately to brace herself and pull him back up.

"You should let me go, Gwen, I'm not worth it!" He called, preparing to sever the root-rope tying them together.

"No!" the queen cried, shaking her head as tears gathered in her eyes.

Morgana huffed and resolved the situation herself, cutting the rope with a sharp motion of her hand and a flash of golden eyes.

Surprised, Merlin still managed to slow time well enough to avoid actually impaling himself. Instead he positioned his body so the sword pierced his bindings and slid through between his arm and torso.

He forced himself to remain still and silent despite Guinevere's heart-wrenching scream and the scuffle as Morgana forced her to keep walking.

Waiting until well after he could no longer hear them, Merlin magicked away the roots and eased himself up. Avoiding the bones, he picked his way toward the tower knowing he couldn't return to the upper path without being spotted in a moment if Morgana happened to look back. On his way he picked up a cloak and sword that looked serviceable enough – they would serve to disguise him somewhat in this situation where he couldn't afford to cast an aging spell.

He'd moved as swiftly as he dared but still his quarry was nowhere to be seen when he reached the tower. Still, it was obvious where they'd entered and there didn't seem to be anyone guarding the place.

He pulled on the salvaged cloak, sword hanging from his belt, and raised the hood. Hopefully if Morgana saw him she would once again blame Emrys instead of Merlin- though she'd be right either way, of course.

Thankful there was no door to make noise and give him away, Merlin crept into the tower. The place had clearly not been cared for; the corridors were dark and laden with cobwebs and rubble. He soon realized he wouldn't be able to see without making some light, something he was loath to do in this situation, but then Mab's words came to him: _You have a Mind's Eye; you must learn to trust it._

_A Mind's Eye… _He'd used it before, but rarely. It disorientated him and left him vulnerable while he was viewing the path ahead. Still, it was the best choice to find Gwen quickly and get them both out safely.

He braced himself against an archway – out of immediate sight in case Morgana should look his way – and let magic show him the way ahead through twisting stairways and passages. His stomach roiled as he sped along the route to stop abruptly at the doorway through which Morgana was pushing her victim. Gwen resisted but she was weakened by grief and the past day's forced march.

Merlin pushed himself away from the wall, wrenching his focus back to himself, and used his Mind's Eye to navigate the dark. He took the stairs two at a time, coming upon Morgana as she descended.

He took the witch unawares, using magic to pull her forward and ducking as she sailed over his head down into the gloom behind him. Her cry of surprise echoed up and down the stairwell, then silence followed. Merlin didn't wait, already opening a door to reveal Guinevere standing with tears in her eyes and fingers in her ears.

"Come with me!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. She fought him for only a moment before her eyes widened. He shushed her before she could call out his name. He didn't know if Morgana had been injured by his attack but he wasn't staying around to find out.

He grabbed the torch their foe had left behind and climbed the tower as quickly as he dared, Guinevere right behind him. He hadn't really thought this part out, but he was hoping there'd be a room that connected to another staircase or- there! The two of them ducked into a large empty room; gargoyles stared at them from the perimeter as they paused to regain their breath.

"Gwen, do you trust me?" He murmured, avoiding her gaze which was still pinned to him in disbelief.

"Of course, Merlin," she assured.

"Good," he nodded, "that's good… ehm, I'm going to… do something that'll help us escape and it'll be a bit… weird."

Gwen stared at him, not knowing how to respond.

"I'll just… I'll just do it." He threw his head back and called **"O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!**"

Merlin risked a glance at his friend and found her clearly taken aback but not outright disgusted or afraid. He swallowed, willing his body to stop trembling and remain upright as he once again threw his gaze ahead to find a safe exit. He did not see any sign of Morgana but didn't want to waste time searching further.

"We need to go up," he said, and Guinevere nodded. Her eyes couldn't seem to leave his face and Merlin looked away. "We'll take the staircase on the other side of the tower," he gestured toward the door across the room and strode forth.

On his second step the floor sank and an arrow shot out of a gargoyle's mouth to narrowly miss his nose.

"Merlin!" Gwen started forward but stopped when he raised his arm.

"I'll test it first; follow behind me but not too close." He pulled the sword from his belt and used it to probe the next stone before moving onto it, then the next and the next. They discovered five more traps in this manner before the both of them reached their destination safely. They paused by the door, slowly letting out their held breath to release some tension before Merlin unlatched the door.

"Ready?" Gwen nodded, sticking close to him as they ascended the stair. The climb was interminable, and their torch was growing dim when they heard a loud 'thump' above them as the tower shuddered slightly.

"What was that?" Gwen stopped, clutching his sleeve.

"A friend," he assured her, one hand on her shoulder, "I promise he's a friend. You don't have to be afraid."

Her brow furrowed but she nodded again, resuming her climb.

It was soon afterward they reached the end of the stairs, exiting the tower onto a large balcony. This section of the tower was shorter than the rest which continued for several floors above their current location.

But it wasn't as if Guinevere noticed, seeing as their was a dragon perched on said balcony.

"Get back!" She called, trying to pull her friend back into the tower.

Merlin grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. "No, it's alright! This is the friend I was telling you about!" He turned to the dragon, "I'm glad you could get here so quickly."

Kilgharrah pinned the warlock with a piercing gaze. "Of course. The Dark Tower is not a real place, Merlin, it is-"

"The heart's rest, the hummingbird's eyes; yes, so I've heard. Could you take us back to Camelot?"

Gwen let out a squeak but made no further protest as the dragon huffed and lowered himself.

"You know I cannot refuse you. Let us be quit of this place."

Merlin helped Gwen onto the dragon's back then took his own place, Kilgharrah lifting off immediately.

The dragonlord glanced at his friend, both dreading and anticipating what she would say about all this. She seemed tense, but he had no idea what she was thinking. Would she hate him after this? Would she tell Arthur?

"Merlin..."

He flinched as the sound interrupted his panicked musings.

"I'm so glad you're alright."

Merlin held his breath, unable to respond and break this moment where Gwen seemed to be accepting him.

"You _are_ alright?" She turned as much as she dared, hair whipping across her face as she tried to check his condition.

"No, I'm fine! And, are you alright?"

She smiled at him, and he hesitantly returned the gesture.

"Yes, Merlin; thanks to you."

Merlin heart soared as if he were the one flying.

They had a lot to discuss, but for the first time in a long while he felt like everything had turned out right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm back on mandatory overtime so the chapters will slow down again but I'm going to try to get one up every couple of weeks if not every week. We'll see if I succeed ;)


	17. 5x07 A Lesson in Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Lesson in Vengeance – Gwen was not enchanted so Morgana must find another way (continued from previous chapter)

The three of them laughed as they dismounted (or, as Arthur would have it, the two of them since Merlin 'didn't count') and Merlin began unloading the baskets laden with food for the royal picnic. Guinevere moved as if to help but Merlin waved her off. Not only was she the queen, but this was a celebration for her anniversary; she of all people should be able to sit back and watch someone else do the work. Arthur, per usual, had no problem doing so.

Merlin left the royal couple to flirt by the horses and spread out a rug before adding cushions and then laying out the food. Normally he would have called them to eat, but he could let them have this today- not that he wouldn't tease Arthur later about the sappy look he'd been giving his wife for the past several minutes.

A tingle ran up the back of his neck and he reached back thinking it was a bug only to be interrupted by a bright flash and loud popping noise from the woods right next to their horses. Merlin leapt to his feet and took charge of the beasts, helping settle them down before leaving them to Gwen so he could chase after Arthur.

The king had stopped not far into the trees, fighting off two attackers with apparent ease. Merlin stood at the ready but Arthur made quick work of the men, looking around as if confused there had been so few of them before shaking his head and thrusting his sword back through his belt.

"I'll send some men to clean that up later. Is lunch ready?" He asked, already walking back toward where Guinevere and the horses were visible through the trees.

"Arthur, you were just attacked!" Merlin was astounded; yes, it had been a failed attempt but someone had clearly ambushed them just now.

"And now everything's fine," Arthur stated as if Merlin were the one being thick. "I'll hardly allow such a small thing to interrupt a date with my lovely wife."

Merlin rolled his eyes as the king kissed each of the queen's hands in turn before leading her to where the picnic had been prepared. Guinevere looked back over her shoulder and gave him a look of commiseration.

"Come join us Merlin," she said, ignoring Arthur's overly-dramatic sigh at the invitation.

"Oh, I couldn't, I-"

"_Mer_lin," Arthur scolded without looking back at him, "listen to your queen."

The servant rolled his eyes again, at which Gwen chuckled, but obeyed.

"Of course, _Sire_."

They enjoyed more banter (and Merlin had endured more of the royals' flirting) and tucked into the generous luncheon before Merlin felt his eyes getting heavy. Strange, he'd not been particularly tired lately. He tried to get up, intent on stretching his legs to wake himself, but instead fell over deeply asleep. Arthur and Guinevere followed soon afterward.

…

The warlock jerked awake feeling muzzy and hot; stabbing pains making him groan in displeasure. He looked up and saw a woman – or rather, something with the appearance of a woman – four span high and wrapped in a shroud. She was singing in tones that were at first beautiful and plaintive but soon turned to wailing.

The fae leaned over him, tears flowing from her reddened eyes. _A baen sídhe._ His muddled mind provided. _Known to herald a coming death._

Merlin looked around him and, though his vision felt fuzzy, soon spotted the king and queen unconscious. He tried to rise but could barely manage to pull himself close enough to touch them, shaking Arthur's shoulder but getting no response aside from a weak grunt of pain.

The servant took a fortifying breath, using his magic to find what was wrong. _Poison!_ He should have guessed as much, but his thoughts were jumbled and slow.

Magic, he had to use magic…

His tongue felt too large for his mouth, gone terribly dry, and he fumbled the words at first but eventually managed the long incantation.** "****Ic the thurhaele thinu licsar mid thamsundorcraeft thaere ealdan ae!"**

Both hands on his king, Merlin willed his magic to work. A flash of pain interrupted his concentration and made him flinch violently. Squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth he tried again, this time feeling his magic flow into Arthur and burn away the foreign substance that had been killing him. He sagged in relief as he felt the king's body relax, then gathered his strength for the next go.

Getting to Guinevere's side felt like crawling across a league of hot coals with limbs that didn't quite know how to obey his instructions but he made it, panting and sweating profusely. Beyond her Merlin saw Lancelot crouch, concern on his face, but that had to be a hallucination. It wasn't a ghost, right?

Behind him he heard Arthur moan and he pulled his attention back with great effort.

Managing to get the words right on the first attempt this time, Merlin cast his healing spell for the queen and eradicated the poison. Unfortunately, his body had no strength left for itself. He found himself falling into unconsciousness accompanied by the lamenting of the baen sídhe.

* * *

Arthur woke slowly, first staring up at the cloudless sky then hearing the echo of a scream on the wind- at least, he'd thought he heard one, but there was no obvious source for such a sound and he heard nothing else until a gravelly voice sounded beside him.

"**Ic the thurhaele thinu licsar mid thamsundorcraeft thaere ealdan ae!"**

The king started at what must surely be words of magic and, feeling strangely uncoordinated, turned to see Merlin stretched out between himself and Guinevere. The latter was stirring but Merlin was worryingly still. Where was the sorcerer he had heard? What had their spell done?

"Guinevere," he coughed at the unpleasant scratchiness in his throat, "Merlin."

"Arthur," the Queen struggled to push herself up with one arm, the other pressed against her forehead. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure, I've only just woken myself." He reached out and lightly shoved his servant. "Alright there, Merlin?"

When there was no response both royals moved closer to the younger man, turning him onto his back to reveal skin gone bright red and beaded with sweat.

"Merlin!" Gwen pressed her hand to his neck and found a racing heartbeat beneath too-hot flesh. "He's burning up," she said, grabbing her waterskin and soaking Merlin's neckerchief which she then used to bathe his brown.

"I heard someone cast a spell as I was waking up, it must have been an attack- but why Merlin?"

Guinevere shot a worried glance his way but didn't respond, focusing on treating their friend.

Of course, Arthur knew that if the initial attack had rendered himself and Guinevere unconscious Merlin would have defended them like the brave idiot he was. Perhaps the sorcerer had left because he had woken, but they couldn't be sure. He scanned the forest with distrust. "We can't stay here; can you keep him on your horse?"

He needed to keep his own arms free to defend the party, but they could tie Merlin to his own horse if necessary.

"I'll take him," she nodded, swiftly gathering what remained of their meal into one of the baskets and fastening it to Merlin's horse as her husband secured their friend on her own mount. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"In case it's poison," she explained, swinging herself up into her saddle.

Arthur nodded, also mounting. It hadn't even occurred to him that this might be anything other than magic, but if it were poison than what had he heard?

"Be on your guard," he advised, taking the lead as they headed for home.

* * *

Morgana cursed. Loudly.

It had been easy to slip the valerian into the royal wine while everyone had been occupied with the distraction she'd set up, and easy again to drip the henbane in their ears once they'd all passed out.

But it had all gone astray when the sídhe had shown up. Certainly she could deal with one, but to do so was to risk the ire of all fae.

She had retreated until its keening ceased, returning to find her victims gone aside from some abandoned picnic trappings.

Why could things never go her way? She yelled in frustration, blasting the picnic basket that had been left behind and splattering fruit across the grass.

Having done so she felt a bit better, and found herself contemplating the fine rug and cushions that had been brought for the picnic and not retrieved. Selling them would make her purse more full than it had been in some time. Perhaps it was time to take a less personal approach…

* * *

Arthur didn't realize he'd been chewing his thumb until Guinevere gently took his hand and held it in her lap, rubbing his arm soothingly with her other hand.

They'd all been waiting for Merlin to wake up since they'd rushed him to Gaius about a half hour past. The physician had found a sedative in their food but no other foreign substance; still he thought poison the likely culprit rather than magic based on his ward's current condition and the side effects Arthur and Guinevere had briefly experienced upon waking. He had narrowed the possibilities down to a few but needed to know more about Merlin's symptoms than what they could observe.

"He'll be alright," Guinevere assured him. Arthur nodded but his nervous energy didn't abate- as evidenced by the way his knee was bouncing.

"What I don't understand is how we were poisoned if not through our food, and why Merlin was given a greater dose."

"Most likely the poison was administered directly under your tongues or in your ears. I would guess that Merlin awoke at some point and treated the two of you before succumbing." The physician was grinding together all manner of foul ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Smelling salts had not been enough to rouse the man but this was a much stronger concoction.

"Then it should be a simple treatment, yes? He didn't even have his usual field kit along today." The thought had Arthur feeling hopeful for the first time since he'd woken in that meadow.

Gaius shook his head. "Since aid was administered immediately the options were broader. He may have only had to wash away the poison before your bodies absorbed it."

His wife's hand twitched and he looked to her with concern but she shook her head, focusing back on Gaius.

There was a 'pop' from the workbench and the elder approached the patient bed with a smoking cup. Bracing his ward's shoulder with one hand, he wafted the smoke into Merlin's nose and the younger man choked.

"Wassat?" His nose wrinkled.

"Merlin, can you tell me your symptoms?" Gaius looked into his ward's eyes and found them unfocused, pupils dilated. He seemed to be staring at something on the ceiling. "Merlin?"

"What's happening, Gaius?" Arthur leaned forward but the physician waved him back.

"I'm not certain yet, Sire." He gripped his ward's arm. "Merlin, can you feel that?"

"What's happening?" The servant's leg twitched and his focus shifted to the hearth. "Why- why are you here?"

"It's going to be alright, Merlin. You should rest." The physician changed the wet cloth that had no longer been cooling his patient's forehead, then turned away.

"Can you identify the poison, Gaius?" Arthur kept his tone low as if merely hearing the word 'poison' could kill his friend.

"I believe so, Sire." The elder moved to his bench and flipped through the tome he'd been consulting. "He seems to be suffering from confusion and possibly hallucinations. Nerve sensitivity may be impaired."

"But you can treat him?" Guinevere asked, not sounding as confident as when she had been consoling her husband.

"I will do everything I can," Gaius assured, "but in the meantime both of you need rest. That you had side effects – no matter how minor – shows that you absorbed some of the poison." Seeing Arthur open his mouth to protest the physician continued "I will inform you of any changes, but Merlin also needs his rest."

The king frowned but ceded the point.

"Very well. We'll send a servant up to run errands for you; let us know if you require any further aid."

"Of course, Sire." Gaius nodded, already grinding something new, and the royal couple took their leave.

* * *

Gwen waited until her husband was fully asleep before easing out of the bed and slipping on a dressing gown. She snuck through the corridors, taking a route that would let her avoid meeting anyone who would object to her being out in such a state, and made her way back to the infirmary.

Hearing no sound from inside she cracked the door and called softly. "Gaius?"

"Enter," the physician's call was equally low, though he rose and bowed when he saw who was at the door. "Your Majesty. Is something the matter?"

Guinevere bit her lower lip, hesitant to broach the subject now that she was here.

"Did… did Merlin tell you about what happened at the Dark Tower?"

Gaius looked away. "Well, we hadn't really had the time to discuss it yet."

Gwen hesitated. She and Merlin had talked about his secret on their flight back to Camelot so she knew Gaius was aware, but it seemed as if her friend hadn't told his mentor that she knew so she wasn't sure if she should tell him or…

She shook herself free from her spiraling thoughts; saving Merlin's life was more important than saving him from a lecture.

Looking back to make sure the door was latched, she whispered "Do you think the dragon could help him?"

Only a momentary stiffness in the elder's posture gave him away as he replied "Your Majesty, even if the last dragon had not been slain I don't see why it would have reason to assist regardless of if it could or not."

On the patient bed Merlin grunted and his arm twitched but he did not wake. Gwen watched him for a moment before taking hold of Gaius' arm and leading him into the back room and shutting the door.

"Gaius, I know that Merlin is a dragonlord- and that he has magic. Is there no way those things could help?" Her piercing gaze left no room for further denial and Gaius sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding.

"Merlin is the only one who can call the dragon; outside of him doing so the beast is not allowed to enter Camelot. He may have the power to help, but even if we had a way to contact him we would need to take Merlin across the border and we simply don't have the time."

"What about magic then?" Gwen asked, not willing to give up.

"I-" Gaius' eyes darted to the door and back, "I did try, but I don't have the power; the poison is too deep in him." His eyes slid closed and the weight of his years seemed harshly apparent in the moonlight streaming through the open window. "I fear he may not last the night."

Gwen gasped, "No! Surely-"

A clatter in the main chamber had them both frozen in place until a few moments of silence prompted Gaius to crack the door. Seeing no one and finding Merlin as he had been, the pair returned to their discussion in even quieter tones than before.

"Could we not wake Merlin and have him treat himself?" The queen asked.

Gaius shook his head. "To attempt would surely drain him of his remaining strength faster than it would cure him. However..."

"Yes?" Guinevere prompted when the physician failed to continue.

"If we can wake him he should be able to call the dragon safely, then we would only need to get him outside the walls. This may be his only chance." Eager to put this plan in motion Gaius yanked open the door only to reveal Arthur standing on the other side.

"Arthur!" Gwen exclaimed, "W-"

The king held up a hand to demand silence.

"Do it, Gaius; we can talk this out later but for now..." he took a deep breath, "please save him."

* * *

Following several tense minutes during which Gaius brewed another batch of noxious potion and the royal couple alternately stared at then looked away from each other, Merlin had gradually woken. It had taken far more time and effort than previously, and the man was far less cognizant.

Gwen had held her husband out of sight lest Merlin see him and become unwilling to summon the dragon, though the king had frozen in place as soon as he'd heard the rough but powerful voice issuing from his servant.

It had been Merlin. Merlin was the one who'd been doing magic when he'd woken in the clearing earlier that day – or perhaps it was yesterday now – most likely that is what had saved himself and Guinevere from suffering as Merlin currently was. _The idiot._

Merlin barely managed to finish his call before he'd succumbed to unconsciousness once more. Gaius made a half-hearted attempt to rouse him once more before giving up.

"We'll need to get him to the woods; he... well, the dragon will land where you fought him previously."

Arthur forced his thoughts to turn away from memories of that last meeting. "I'll take him, but are you certain this will work, Gaius?"

Gaius focused all his attention on the young king, clearly conflicted but still worried for his friend, and gripped the man's shoulders.

"Merlin is a dragonlord now. No dragon could disobey him, even if it wanted to. They are like kin. The dragon will do everything he can to help..." he hesitated, but decided honesty was the best approach. "But he may not be kind to you. Dragons are intelligent creatures, but they are not like men and generally care little for our affairs. I doubt he would be able to harm you, but do try not to provoke him."

This did not at all make Arthur feel better about the coming events.

"I'll bear that in mind. What will I need to do?"

"Simply deliver him to the dragon and stay out of the way. Afterward Merlin may still need to rest and recover, but it should be safe to bring him back here."

"Right," Arthur nodded. He could do that much surely.

"And Arthur," The king looked up as he gathered Merlin into his arms, "please hurry."

…

Being the king, Arthur was able to spirit Merlin out of the city with minimal challenge- though certainly the guards seemed uncomfortable with their sovereign going outside the walls in the dead of night with no one to guarantee his safety. At least these people he could command; he suspected the only reason Guinevere wasn't right behind him in her nightgown was due to there not being time for argument and she wasn't even wearing shoes. Gaius physically holding onto her while Arthur left may also have helped.

Despite holding the man in front of him on the horse, Arthur felt as if Merlin were getting further and further away in many respects. First, because his servant apparently had an entire secret life he knew nothing about, but more pressingly because he seemed to be slipping closer and closer to death with each passing moment. Arthur rode as fast as he dared until he reached the trees, then dismounted to move more quickly in the dark.

The flapping of large, leathery wings alerted him to the dragon's arrival soon before he himself stumbled into the clearing where he and Merlin had last faced the beast.

"Place him here," the dragon demanded without preamble, indicating a space in front of him with his nose.

Arthur started. _Right, Gaius had said the dragon is intelligent…_

Heeding the rest of the physician's advice, Arthur laid Merlin down and retreated to what he hoped was an appropriate distance.

The dragon extended its neck and breathed a sparkling mist onto the servant, then lowered his head as if he were nuzzling the man- or perhaps whispering to him. Could dragons whisper?

"He'll be alright?" The king essayed after the mist had settled.

The dragon huffed and straightened.

"It will take some time for the enchantment to heal him, but he should recover. Let him rest here until his heart slows. He will likely sleep much of the next day."

The creature's speech was brusque but Arthur was trying his hardest to remember and apply everything Gaius had told him about how to behave in this situation. Fury and fear both had filled him at the sight of the dragon that had terrorized his people only a few years past but he pushed them back, trying to focus on what was happening now.

"I… thank you."

The dragon regarded him in silence until the king shifted in discomfort.

"I will give you the same advice I have given the young warlock: do not trust the druid boy." He reared up, flapping his wings and making Arthur fling an arm up to protect his eyes. "Take care of him."

And with that it took off, becoming nothing more than a silhouette against the moon before disappearing completely.

Arthur frowned at the departing figure before returning his attention to Merlin. Some of the mist had settled on his tunic and was emitting enough light to show the servant's still-flushed skin.

"What am I going to do with you?" He murmured, settling on the ground next to his friend. Well, he assumed they were actually friends; Merlin was much too poor an actor for anything else. The man had said many things over the years that made this whole magic situation less surprising than it should have been – including outright admitting to sorcery in front of Uther. Arthur got a headache just thinking about that.

He'd made a show of dismissing Merlin's ridiculous claims over the years, but in truth he'd started to half-believe them long ago. Every increasingly improbable thing surrounding Merlin had been carefully filed away in the back of his mind, never to be examined too closely but also never forgotten.

Over the years he'd considered overturning the laws against magic, but each time had put it off until such time as Morgana (and her followers) could be defeated. But with Merlin and a dragon on their side, perhaps such caution was no longer needed?

Well, he could discuss it with Guinevere and eventually Merlin himself. For now they were still recovering from his sister's latest attack – he assumed this was her doing. Most problems seemed to lead back to her these days and she had just failed to kidnap Merlin and Guinevere mere days ago. On that subject, he would have to hear the true tale of their escape. At the time he'd been certain there was more to it than the "we ran away when she wasn't looking" story Merlin had fed him, but as usual he'd been too relieved at the outcome to look closely.

Merlin's heartbeat had slowed to what he thought was a normal rate so Arthur stood and stretched out his limbs. Rising after less than an hour's slumber and rushing out into the dark of night on this life-or-death mission was not the best thing for one's muscles as it turned out and he was feeling rather stiff.

"Ugh," he groaned as something popped in his back. "Come on then, Merlin, let's have you."

The king lifted his servant once more, this time with fondness rather than anxiety, and struck out toward home.

…

They'd nearly reached the horse when Arthur felt a sting on his neck swiftly followed by drowsiness.

_Not again._ He thought, carefully laying Merlin on the ground and drawing the dagger from his boot as he cursed the moment he'd left his chambers without a sword. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it but that only served to make him dizzy.

"Now would be a great time to wake up, Merlin," he muttered, listing to the side but not able to correct himself before he stumbled into a tree.

The assassin was upon him before he'd managed to stand properly, though he deflected the blow by pure reflex. He could only be grateful the attacker had chosen a melee weapon; if they'd shot him with a bolt rather than a tranquilizer dart he'd quite possibly be dead by now.

Still, in his sub-optimal state the assassin was able to unbalance him embarrassingly quickly. As he fell, however, he saw a flash of light from where Merlin lay and the attacker was blown back into the darkness to land with a crack of wood and bone.

"Merlin," he tried to crawl toward his friend but his limbs were becoming too heavy and uncoordinated. Merlin, too, seemed to be struggling toward him.

"You… 'right?" He croaked.

"Better than you," the king yawned, "I'm sure. Just a little drugged."

"Arthur!" Lantern light burst upon them as the queen appeared, two horses in tow. "Are you alright?"

Guinevere knelt between the two men, adjusting the light to search for injuries.

"Just taking a nap," Merlin responded, his eyes already closed once more.

"Merlin?" Gwen shook his shoulder before turning back to her husband with worry wrinkling her brow.

"The dragon said he would be fine but he'll probably sleep the day away." Arthur yawned again though he was starting to feel more alert. "There was an assassin but Merlin..." he waved his hand in a vague gesture.

"Oh." The queen let out a long breath and straightened, offering her husband a hand up which he took. "Well, I suppose we should return to the castle then."

"Indeed." Arthur took a moment to recover, excused himself to make sure of the assassin, then heaved Merlin up onto one of the horses, choosing to lead it as Guinevere rode the other. He didn't want to fall asleep in the saddle and the walk would help clear his head.

There would be a lot to think about and discuss in the coming days, but he had a feeling it would all be worth it.


End file.
